


After the credits

by Pengirl91



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode Related, Episode Tag, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2019-07-13 04:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 68,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16010672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pengirl91/pseuds/Pengirl91
Summary: After the credits roll, our favourite characters go on living. Here are my thoughts on post-episode happenings. One chapter for the aftermath of each episode. Order for season 1 based on the France release dates with minor tweaks. Season 2 is mostly based on the production order with a few tweaks.





	1. Origins

Nooroo wished he had never been awoken. How many years had it been? The world around him seemed foreign with their bright lights and automatic gadgets. Humans had come up with some crazy technology since he was last awake. But that’s not what scared him. His new wielder was his greatest fear. Gabriel Agreste seemed tame right now as he worked on his computer designing his next fashion line but up in his tower, he became a scary man. He had wasted no time in creating his first supervillain, and Nooroo had feared not only for himself, but for all of Paris. As a result, he kept out of Gabriel’s sight as much as possible and had quickly learned to not speak unless spoken to. He had tried to talk sense into the man, but the designer was far too determined to get the absolute power of the Ladybug and Cat Noir miraculous. 

Just watching how the man treated his own son showed Nooroo how evil the man was at heart even outside his lair. Obsessed with a fear of something happening to his son as it had his wife, Gabriel was blind to how he was the one causing harm. 

But not all was lost. Soon after the first villain was made, he had felt the two positive auras of Ladybug and Cat Noir. He hoped they would become strong enough to come rescue him soon. They hadn’t captured the akuma so their victory wasn’t achieved yet but if they could get a handle on their new powers than there was hope for Paris yet and, hopefully, for himself. 

*******

“Ok so I just need to wait for the akuma to reappear and then Ladybug and I can take care of things. That doesn’t sound too bad.” Adrien relaxed on to his couch. “At least I know I’ll see her again.” He smiled happily, looking upwards. 

“Who?” Plagg asked in between moments of enjoying his cheese. 

“Ladybug.” He said fondly. 

“Oh brother. Another Chat Noir in love with his Ladybug. How original.” Plagg murmured to himself sarcastically, too low for Adrien to hear.

“She was awesome today! Crazy. But in a good way. You know?” The boy continued to gush. 

“Uh hu.” Plagg nodded aimlessly, going back to his cheese. 

“Is there a way to contact her? You know, when things go south again.”

Plagg scoffed. “Like anyone could miss an akuma attack. Chillax.”

Adrien let the subject drop. “So she lives in Paris then? She’s a civilian here like me?”

“Most likely.”

Adrien hummed, thinking. He moved to his computer and googled himself and Ladybug looking for a good picture. That girl he had saved at the soccer field that day had the best footage and already had a site built called the ladyblog. Wow. 

“She sounded like a teenager. She definitely looks young enough to be one. At least I think so. It’s kind of hard to tell with that mask.”

“Don’t you remember what I said about your identities needing to remain secret? You’ll see her when the akuma wakes up again.” Plagg had zoomed up to his face. 

“Yeah but that’s for like regular civilians right? Surely we could know each other’s identities.”

“Nope. Not even each others. That’s caused… issues. In the past.”

“Past? I think I would have remembered if there were superheroes before today.”

“Let’s just say there’s a lot you don’t know. The bottom line is that it’s too dangerous for you to know each other’s true identities. So no snooping.”

“Fine.” Adrien pouted, turning off his computer. He couldn’t be too disappointed, his life was vastly better then it was 24 hours ago. 

“Adrien time for your photo shoot!” Natalie called from downstairs.

“Photoshoot?” Plagg looked nervous “What for?”

“Day job.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “Come on.” He lifted his open white dress shirt so Plagg could hide in its inner pocket. 

“Just remember to bring snacks.”

Adrien reluctantly grabbed some cheese. That stuff sure did stink. If Natalie noticed the smell, she didn’t say anything though. 

The photoshoot was a bore like always but it made his father happy. The city may be under an unknown bizarre new threat, but it was business as usual for the Agrestes apparently. Figures. Once again, Adrien felt an aching pain for his mom. She would have talked some sense into his dad. She also would have allowed him to go to school. Fake smile in place, he pushed the thought away and struck a pose. He could dwell more on it later. Instead, he focused on the happy events of the day. Sure he hadn’t gotten to go to school but something way better had happened. His smile was real as he recalled transforming into Chat Noir. It had been… liberating. There really wasn’t another word for it. Free from the watchful eyes of his bodyguard and his father’s assistant. Free to be himself. It had made him feel…playful. He took it seriously of course - The whole needing to save Paris thing. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun while he was at it. He was embarrassed that he messed up his cataclysm but then Ladybug had taken care of things no problem. They had worked so well together... 

“Adrien. Focus please.” The photographer directed. Right. He still had a few more shots to do. Too bad the akumatized statues couldn’t wake up now and he could become Cat Noir again. Of course, how would he get out of his planned activities when the time came? Then again when the statues do eventually wake up again people would probably be too distracted to notice him running off. 

“Alright, let’s switch to the other outfit.” The photographer directed.

Adrien went to change, his new ring catching his eye and giving him the thought of just running off. Plagg gave him a questioning look as if knowing what he was thinking. Work first. But once he was done he would go for a night stroll. He would feel that freedom again. 

*******

Plagg waited impatiently for Adrien to finish his photo shoot. What an odd job to have. Humans could be so ridiculous sometimes. Adrien clearly didn’t do it for fun either. Plagg had recognized that look in his eye earlier. The boy had been thinking of blowing the whole thing off. Plagg wasn’t surprised. Adrien had taken to being a superhero with eagerness. Not caring about the details and being fearless when he had transformed. He had immediately tested out his abilities, which seemed to come second nature to him. The boy had been born to be a superhero and had eagerly engaged the akuma victim in battle. His lack of knowledge had caused him trouble however, when he had wasted his cataclysm. Of course, if Adrien was over eager and confident, Ladybug had been the opposite; well-informed, cool-headed but insecure at first. They would level each other out nicely. 

“Alright. Perfect. We are done for the day.” He heard the photographer say. It was about time! He was starving and Adrien had access to far more cheese than any of his previous wielders ever did. He was going to like working with the boy.

*******

Talk about a first day of school. Marinette was still half convinced that the whole day had been a dream. Or a nightmare depending on how you saw it. Between discovering she was still going to be in the same class as Chloe to becoming a superhero and completely messing it up, the day sure felt like the works of fiction. Unfortunately, when she woke up the next day, people were still frozen in stone and her well-masked face was all over the news. Not a dream then. Guilt flooded her as she formed a plan for the day. She was way too awkward and clumsy to be a superhero. She wasn’t at all like Chat Noir who seemed to fit into his own superhero identity without any issues and by the sound of things he was new to it just like she was. Nor was she like that new girl Alya who didn’t hesitate to follow the monster around without a moment of hesitation. She would make a good Ladybug. She wouldn’t have hesitated like Marinette had or have been a clumsy mess getting all tangled up every time she tried her magic yo-yo. Her resolved solidified. Nope, she was not superhero material at all but she knew who would be. All she had to do was get the earrings to Alya and Paris would be saved.


	2. Stoneheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after the origin part 2 episode. Our two heroes get use to their new lives and the people that are now in them.

Marinette walked home thinking over the interaction she just had with the new student. How could someone so kind be friends with Chloe? She felt bad for having judged him so quickly. Thunder roared again and she felt a shiver as the wind blew it on her skin despite the large umbrella Adrien had given her. Those eyes. Those kind eyes. She had been hypnotized by their raw honesty. He had seemed so vulnerable. She could practically feel his uncertainty on how to make things right and gain a friend. Marinette smiled and her heartbeat quickened. Perhaps Adrien was friends with Chloe, but he was nothing like her. 

“Are you thinking about your love again?” Tikki smiled at her from her purse. 

Marinette blushed. Tikki had been quick to point out her theory on Marinette’s new stutter. 

“I can’t remember ever seeing something so romantic.” Tikki looked at her dreamily. 

“I barely know him Tikki. I can’t really be in love with him. Could I?” 

Tikki giggled. “You’ll see for yourself eventually.” Marinette blushed again. “I’m so proud of you Marinette. It took a lot of courage to become Ladybug again. I knew you would do a good job.”

Marinette looked away, feeling uncomfortable with the praise. “Honestly, I don’t think I could have done it without Alya and Cat Noir’s encouragements.”

Tikki smiled. “It seems you guys make a good team.”

Marinette smiled. “He seems a bit silly but yeah, we work well together.” He definitely wasn’t shy about having fun along the way and joking around, but in the end he worked flawlessly to save people. His pep talk had indicated that he did still take the job seriously. And she couldn’t have stood up to Hawkmoth if he hadn’t been there to support her. And she wouldn’t have saved Ivan and the rest of Paris without his help. She could see them becoming friends. Two new friends in one day, Paris safe, a newfound confidence allowing her to stand up to Chloe and being a real superhero… She had a feeling this would be a good year after all. She held the umbrella closer to her body and jogged home smiling. 

*****

Tikki shook herself to dry up once Marinette made it indoors. Lightning flashed and thunder roared outdoors. Tikki made her way to the window. She loved a good thunderstorm. There was something so romantic about it. Tikki giggled at Marinette’s earlier encounter with Adrien.   
Tikki could tell she was going to have fun with Marinette. The girl was so brave. Despite her fears, she had stepped up to the plate beautifully. Her confidence was already growing. She had learned from her mistake and Tikki knew she would never again forget to capture the akuma.   
She was grateful that Master Fu had found a good partner for Marinette too. Cat Noir had said exactly the right thing to her and his playfulness would no doubt help Marinette relax a bit. They would make a great team and she had a feeling they would make a good couple too. She wasn’t sure who to root for more; Cat Noir or Adrien. In the past, Ladybug always ended up with Cat Noir but there was no denying that instant connection she had just witnessed between Marinette and Adrien. Almost too instant… A suspicion started to form in Tikki’s mind. Could the boy Marinette had just befriended also be her partner? Tikki giggled. That would work out nicely but the two personalities seemed so different. Perhaps she was wrong. 

“What are you giggling about?” Marinette joined her by the window. 

“Just enjoying being out of that box.” Tikki smiled. She truly was happy that it looked like she was out for good this time. She had been so worried when Marinette had removed the earrings. 

Marinette looked downcast. “I’m sorry for trying to give you away Tikki. I just thought Alya would do a better job.”

“You were chosen to be Ladybug Marinette. No one would do a better job.”

Marinette smiled at her and Tikki snuggled into her check. She was fond of the girl already and was looking forward to a long life with her. Marinette went back to her homework and Tikki looked out the window again. The rain was getting softer and the thunder was growing weaker. 

“I have a feeling your story is just beginning Marinette.” She said softly to herself. 

*****

 

Talk about a first day of school, Adrien thought as he lounged in his room after having changed into something dry. Well, his first real day anyway. And to think it had started out with him thinking his dad was going to ban him from school for life. But by some miracle, his father had changed his mind. A rare occurrence but he wasn’t going to question the reason why. He was glad he was now allowed to go.   
The past two days had been an eye opener. Chloe was obviously quite unliked to his surprise. He was astonished at her attitude and that prank she had played on a fellow student the previous day. That was not the Chloe he knew. He remembered his only childhood friend as someone who always smiled and was nice to him. Apparently that was a very selective thing. Thankfully, he had also made some new friends.   
Nino had warmed up to him and given him some good advice, allowing him to make a second new friend. He smiled anew at how Marinette had been attacked by his umbrella. New friends. He smiled. It felt good. Almost as good as it felt when he and Ladybug had saved the day. For good this time. She had been remarkable. Staring down the butterfly image of Hawk Moth and flawlessly executing another crazy plan despite the self-doubt she had demonstrated to him just moments before. She was so brave and brilliant. He was already getting used to her crazy but successful ideas. He liked Ladybug a lot. Enough to have even engaged in some light flirting, suggesting they were made for each other just like the two lovebirds she had helped get together. It was quite unlike him but once again the mask gave him a freedom and confidence he had never felt before. He had planned to put his arm around her too but she had grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer to her and pointed out his ring was blinking. He had momentarily stopped breathing at how close she was. It had taken him a moment to realize she was making her exit but not before seductively wishing him farewell. His name on her lips was sweeter than honey. 

“Ugh. You’re doing it again.” Plagg complained at his big smile.

“Sorry Plagg.” He replied unconvincingly. 

“Are you always so lovey dovy after knowing a girl for just two days?” 

“I’ve never felt like this before. She’s just so amazing.” He smiled again. 

“Yeah yeah. I’ve heard the replay.”

It was true. He had relayed in detail the happenings of the previous day multiple times already despite Plagg telling him that he was well aware of the events as they happened. 

“You’re right. I should get my homework done.” He had some catching up to do after all. 

“Homework? Ugh. No. I meant it was time for a snack instead.”

Adrien ignored him. He was getting better at knowing when Plagg actually needed food and when he was just bored. 

“Adrien. Chloe Bourgeois is downstairs waiting for you.” Nathalie called from outside his room. 

“The mean girl from school?” Plagg scolded. 

“Be nice Plagg. She’s a friend.” Although he did feel like groaning a little himself. He had not liked this new side of her but she was still his closest friend. 

“But not a ‘friend’.” Plagg mimicked the way Adrien had gleefully proclaimed to have a new friend in Marinette back at the school. Adrien shushed him as he let him zip into his inner pocket. Plagg still held the idea that Marinette and he were lovebirds but that was ridiculous, just the other day she hated him and he had his eyes on someone else. She seemed nice and he could appreciate her sticking up for herself the way she had to both Chloe and himself when she thought he was involved in the whole chewing gum thing, but he was a one-girl guy. 

“Hey Chloe.” He greeted once downstairs. 

“Adrikins! Can you believe what happened today?”

He blinked once. Not too sure what part of the day she was referring to. The previous day, she had showed up with the very real crazy story about how she had nearly died. He had comforted her and listened while pretending not to know the whole story already. It turned out keeping his identity secret involved more work then he had originally thought. But nothing close to that had happened today.

“That Marinette was so rude to me. She’s such a bully!” She cried, throwing herself against him and hugging him. He straightened her up and gave her a pat on the back. 

“I don’t think she was the one being the bully Chloe.” He said with light exasperation. Chloe ignored him and he let her rant. Chloe’s mom was away again and that always put Chloe in a bad mood. Adrien knew what that felt like so he just listened. He had confidence that eventually she would see reason. 

*****

Gabriel Agreste still wasn’t sure that letting Adrien go to school had been the right decision. The boy had been determined however and, in truth, it would be best for his son to be out of the way since getting Ladybug’s and Cat Noir’s miraculous proved more difficult then he had originally assumed. Stoneheart may have been defeated by the two heroes, but another opportunity would come. He would need to become Hawkmoth again and Adrien’s return to school would ensure that the house would be empty nearly half the time. No one could know who he was, least of all his son. Once he got the miraculous and used their power for his heart’s desire, everything would go back to the way it was meant to be and Adrien must never know what it took to get there.


	3. Stormy Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two heroes deal with their double lives.

Her first and probably only chance at being in a photoshoot with Adrien, and Manon had stolen the show. Marinette looked sulky as she watched Adrien play with the little girl she had been babysitting. Not that she had actually done most of the babysitting. 

“You were great with her. Thanks for all your help today.” Marinette said to her friend Alya. What would she have done if when she needed to turn into Ladybug, Alya hadn’t been there? “I fully plan on giving Nadine your name next time I’m asked to babysit.”

“No sweat.” Her friend laughed. “Looks like Adrien is pretty great with kids too. Manon adores him already.” 

Marinette stared dreamily at the sight of her crush and Manon together. He really would make a great dad. Alya poked her in the side. 

“Quit being so obvious girl!” Alya giggled again. “Hey, where did you go when that weather girl showed up anyways? Ladybug mentioned you spoke with her.”

This was always the tricky part. “I got blown away by the crazy wind and my leg broke when I landed a little ways away. Ladybug walked by and I told her about where you guys were trapped and she told me to keep cover while she took care of it. I guess the leg healed itself when they beat the akuma. Sorry I couldn’t get to you guys sooner.” Marinette had felt bad about ditching her babysitting duties but what else was she supposed to do?

“Ouch, I’ve never broken anything. Did it hurt?”

“Enough that I didn’t feel like walking.” In truth, she had never broken a bone either. 

“Thanks for waiting around and letting us take pictures with Manon.” Adrien walked over. Marinette jumped, nearly tripping over her own feet. Straightening herself, she rubbed her neck in embarrassment. She never seemed to notice him sneaking up on her. Stealthy as a cat that boy was. Marinette grinned at him, taking Manon’s hand without really registering it. 

“No problem.” Alya said for her. 

“She’s fun but I think you would have done a better job at keeping still.” He winked at Marinette. “Maybe next time.” He waved and headed back to where his bodyguard was waiting.

Marinette blinked as a blush spread across her cheeks, not too sure she had heard him correctly. 

“So much for asking him out for a smoothie.” Alya rolled her eyes. 

Right the plan! Marinette facepalmed. “Who am I kidding? I can’t even say hi to him! How was I ever going to ask him out?”

Alya gave her a sympathetic look. “Come on, you and I and this little munchkin can go enjoy one instead.”

Marinette smiled. It wasn’t how she thought the day would end but after everything Alya did for her today, she owed her friend big time. “Sounds good, I’ll buy.”

*****  
Adrien gave a sigh of relief when he entered his room. What a busy day and quite the way to end the weekend. He closed his eyes as he collapsed on his bed. Finally alone, he let his face rest from all the smiling. Plagg obviously had a different idea. He zipped out of Adrien’s bag and gave him a hard look. 

“That trick with the cheese was mean.” He had his hands on his hips. It was rare to see Plagg angry. 

“There was an akuma attack and you were being obstinate.” Adrien sat up to argue, crossed his arms. He had used some cheese to lure his kwami out of hiding so they could go save Paris. It had been necessary. Plagg had a tendency to forget the emergency of the situation sometimes. 

“You could have let me eat the cheese first at least.” The kwami crossed his own arms in imitation while turning away from Adrien, eyes shut in indignation.

Adrien pulled out another slice of Camembert from his pocket. He had already given Plagg a piece after detransforming but had then needed to immediately go back to the park. Plagg opened his eyes and flew closer, eating the foul smelling cheese in one bite. At least that was the last of it and he wouldn’t smell as much anymore. 

“So why were you flirting with that Marinette girl? I though you still liked Ladybug.” Adrien was obviously forgiven now. 

Adrien laughed. “That wasn’t flirting.” 

“You winked at her. Isn’t that flirting?” 

Had he winked? Guess he was still feeling a bit too much like his alter ego. 

“Winking is conspiratory, not flirty.” He insisted. Now kissing a lady’s hand. THAT was flirting. Shame that Ladybug had pushed him away but he could admit that it hadn’t been the best timing what with Stormy Weather still terrorizing people and all. But when was the right time then? They only met up during akuma attacks and then when they were done they had to hide in order to transform back. There was never time to just talk. Still, that didn’t stop something from developing between them. She had trusted him enough to let him lead her out of the dark and then had held on to his hand for quite a while longer than necessary before pulling away. He smiled at the memory of her touch not only in that moment but the other moments during the fight such as when she had been pinned below him and had been close enough that he could smell her hair, a nice strawberry scent no doubt caused by her shampoo. A lot of the girls at school used the same type but it always smelled better on her for some reason. Ladybug had needed to remind him of the task at hand at that moment as well. But he wouldn’t let those moments disappoint him. She had talked to him in that sweet voice she seemed to reserve only for him; the one that was a mix of playfulness and allurement. Now that was also flirting. She liked him, she just always had a sharp focus on the task at hand. 

Plagg poked him in the cheek. “Are you even listening to me?”

Adrien shook his head, pushing his thoughts away. Had Plagg really been talking? 

“Nevermind, I know what that dreamy look meant. It’s a wonder you manage to save Paris and not get too distracted by Ladybug in the process. You’re helpless when you’re just thinking about her.” His kwami complained as he floated over to Adrien’s desk, no doubt searching for more cheese. Adrien blushed but made no reply. He wasn’t that bad but he made a mental note to keep his face in check a bit more. And probably remember that he has his Adrien façade when he’s around his friends. No winking even if it wasn’t flirting. 

*****

Marinette paid for Alya’s smoothie before she had time to protest. “You really don’t have to. The whole thing had been my idea.”

“I know, this is for being such a great wingwoman. Even if things didn’t work out.”

“What’s a wingwoman?” Manon asked wide-eyed. 

Alya giggled. “She’s referring to my real unicorn appearance when I have the most beautiful wings!” 

Marinette gave her a grateful look. “You’re so good with her.”

“Honestly it’s probably a good thing I was stuck in the ice with her instead of you. No offence.”

Marinette laughed. “I have to agree with you there.” She said with that odd worried look in her eye she sometimes got. “I don’t know how you managed to keep Manon calm the whole time.”

Alya felt bad for making her friend doubt herself. “I just kept her mind occupied with a story. You would have figured it out.”

“If I wasn’t such a push-over you mean.” Marinette nudged her playfully and enjoyed some more of her own smoothie. 

“Hey, I was too when I first started out. It’s hard to say no to a child.” Until you built a thick skin through getting annoyed enough. 

“No kidding.” Marinette smiled at Manon who was nearly done her small smoothie. “I should have said no to the babysitting in the beginning. Now I’ll never finish Adrien’s gift.”

“You’re making a gift for Adrien?”

“Yeah, his birthday is coming up this week and I remembered that really chilly day when he was cold so I figured he could use a scarf so I started making one but I’m running out of time to finish it. I also want to finish that hat for my mom and was trying to multitask earlier today but, well you know how that went.”

“That is so sweet. Let’s go to your place, I’ll look after the munchkin while you finish your gifts.”

“I can’t ask you to do that!” Her eyes were wide. 

“No need to because I’m offering. Besides, you can just give me half your babysitting money.”

Marinette looked uncomfortable. 

“You were going to get paid right?”

“Uhhhh…”

“Girl, if you can’t say no at least ask for payment!”

“It was just a small favour…”

“Yeah… real small.” Alya looked unimpressed as her eyes drew Marinette’s gaze to Manon’s smoothie covered face. “Alright, I’ll clean up her face while you finish your smoothie and we’ll head over to your place.”

“You’ll still help me?”

“Of course, what are friends for?”

“You really are the best.”

“I know.” Alya smiled as she grabbed Manon’s hand and guided her to the washroom. What would her friend do without her?


	4. Bubbler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino deals with the aftermath of being akumatized.

Whenever someone brought up his akumatization, Nino would laugh it off and brush the whole thing aside. Truth was that he was embarrassed about being akumatized. The whole event may have been a blur in his memory but the news and his classmates hadn’t hesitated to fill him in on the horror. Thankfully, Paris was kind of used to akumas these days and he hadn’t been teased and threatened the way the first victims had been. Adrien had also been quick to forgive him. Adrien’s father however would no doubt never allow Nino near his place ever again. He didn’t need to hear that. So he had cut Adrien off when his friend had brought up what his dad had said about Nino being a bad influence. 

“Wanna hang out after school today?” He asked, arm around his bud’s shoulder as they walked to class. 

“Sorry Nino. I have Piano.”

“But your birthday was ruined. We need to celebrate properly today.”

“My dad may have gotten me a nice gift but I doubt he’ll change his mind about the party.”

“So we keep it low key. Just you and me. Maybe Alya and Marinette…” Nino had specifically left out Adrien’s only other friend Chloe. 

“Maybe…” Adrien didn’t seem very certain but surely the dude could get a few hours to himself. 

“Didn’t Marinette have a gift for you the other day? What was it?” Nino recalled seeing the clumsy girl with a package the previous afternoon after school, stammering about it. 

“What gift?” Adrien blinked at him. 

*****

Marinette squeaked as her eyes went wide. Alya grabbed her arm, leading her down a different hall. They hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but they had been walking right behind Adrien and Nino. 

“What am I going to do?” Marinette’s voice was gaining pitch and speed. “Now he’s going to expect a gift!”

“Chill out girl. Adrien isn’t like that.”

“He’s going to think I had one for him and then didn’t give it to him and that I’m a completely selfish person! I need to make him another gift. But there’s no time!”

“Seriously Marinette, relax. We haven’t even been invited yet. Knowing Adrien’s dad, it isn’t going to happen.” Alya reassured her, dragging her back down the hall to get to class. 

“Hey!” A smiling Adrien greeted them. “You girls want to go for a quick ice cream after school today with me and Nino?”

“Uh. Scream with you? I mean. Ice us? Yeah.” Marinette rambled, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. Adrien looked perplexed. 

“Sounds fun! Count us in.” Alya answered for them, dragging Marinette to their seats. Marinette hid behind her bag once she had set it on the desk. Why couldn’t she just get one sentence in properly? It was just like the previous day when all she had to say was ‘Hey, here’s a gift I made you. Happy birthday.’ Marinette suppressed the groan that threatened to escape, she instead tried to focus on the lesson.   
She spent the whole day psyching herself up for the outing, determine to speak properly. When the final bell rang, she met up with the others at their lockers. 

“So where are we going?” She asked Nino while Adrien was still getting something out of his locker. She just needed to ease in to talking to him and everything would be fine. 

“Change of plans. We’ll just go to that café across the street. Adrien says he’s supposed to get picked up in half an hour for a piano lesson.”

“I didn’t know you played piano.” Alya said as Adrien joined the group. 

Adrien shrugged. “Just one of many extracurriculars.” He seemed pretty down about it. 

“What do you mean?” Marinette found herself asking, shocked at how normal she sounded. 

“Piano, fencing, Basketball, Chinese, modelling…” Adrien listed. “It’s my dad’s way of keeping me busy.” Adrien blushed, perhaps feeling he had revealed more than he meant to. He was so cute when he blushed. Marinette felt Alya jab her in the side. Oups, she must have been staring again. She quickly composed her face. “I don’t mind the piano that much though.” He said, smiling again. He was so cute when he smiled… Another jab. Right. They walked out of the school, Nino and Alya making up most of the conversation since Marinette was feeling too shy to say anything now. They had just crossed the street when a car honked at them and Nathalie walked out. 

Adrien groaned. “Sorry guys… Another time.” He said, clearly disappointed. He walked slowly to the car, shoulders slightly hunched as Natalie held the door open. 

“Poor Adrien.” Marinette whispered. 

“You know I was starting to feel bad about the whole trapping parents in bubbles thing but if there was ever one guy who needs to know how it feels it’s that dude’s dad.” Nino said crossly. “Everything else I did sucked but I’m glad I got to give him that party yesterday. He was having fun… well at first at least.” Despite his words, the guilt was clear on his face. 

“Hey we know you weren’t in control of yourself.” Alya offered. 

“Who am I kidding? I was the worst akumatized villain thus far. I almost sent everyone to space!” Nino shook his head, burring it in his hands as if that would hide him from the world. 

“Alya’s right Nino. It wasn’t your fault and it all got fixed in the end.” No thanks to her taking her time to sign that gift for Adrien, Marinette thought bitterly. And in the end, he thought it had come from his dad anyways. Never again would she let personal feelings get in the way of her job. Including her jealousy for Adrien. If she hadn’t wasted her lucky charm in the first place then the whole mess could have been fixed up sooner. 

“All those kids and babies without parents to take care of them...” Nino didn’t seem to be listening to them. Alya and Marinette shared a worried look.

“Ladybug’s lucky charm fixed any damage.” Marinette reassured. 

“And really, you are far from the worst akuma.” Alya said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. Marinette stared at her in mild horror. What was she doing? “Remember Magma? The floor was literally lava for a whole day!” She laughed and Nino gave a small smile, looking up at her. “It was fun at first but I still have nightmares about my foot burning.” 

“Yeah that was pretty bad… “ Nino said. 

“Or the first akuma Stoneheart when Cat Noir and Ladybug didn’t even know what they were doing yet.” Marinette caught on. “Hundreds of people were frozen for two days!”

“It’s a wonder the city was still functional.” Alya smiled. 

“At least you taught everyone an important lesson. I think everyone learned to appreciate their parents a lot more.” Marinette smiled at him. 

Nino gave a small chuckle. “Yeah, I did hug my parents pretty hard last night.”

“Me too.” Marinette smiled. 

“Well I hug them every night so…” Alya joked. “Me three.” She added seriously. 

“Thanks guys.” Nino smiled at them. 

“Come on, let’s get some pastries and then figure out how we can help Adrien out.” Alya guided them all in the café. 

*****

Adrien wasn’t in the mood to play his piano today. He was offbeat and missed a few notes, enough that his dad took notice and came by to tell him to stop messing around. Adrien sighed and straightened himself up to play the song again. He still felt guilty for how he hadn’t attempted to help Nino right away once he noticed the akumatization. Who knows what might have been happened to kids in the rest of the city. It had been selfish and he shouldn't have let Plagg convince him otherwise. His kwami sure seemed blazé about his role but Adrien shouldn’t let that influence him. 

“Why do you always have to play these boring songs.” Plagg floated out of his shirt and near Adrien’s moving hands. 

“They’re not boring. They’re classics. Every pianist knows these.”

Plagg yawned. “You should just hire one of them to play it for you then. Your dad wouldn’t notice the difference.” 

Adrien stopped mid-piece. He looked at Plagg with his mouth slightly agape. “Plagg you’re a genius.” Adrien smiled, getting up and running to his school bag to pull out his ipod. As he walked back to the piano, he selected the right song and set it on the piano. “This just might work.” Adrien smiled to himself as the music played. 

“So what are we going to do with this new found free time?” Plagg asks him. 

Adrien grinned. He couldn’t undo how he had messed up earlier that day but he could try to make up for it. 

“Plagg, claws out!”

*****

“Well you didn’t get to hang out with Adrien but I think we managed to cheer Nino up.” Alya said to Marinette as they left the café. 

Marinette smiled and was about to reply when she noticed a black figure jumping from roof to roof. “Is that Cat Noir?” She pointed to the moving black dot. 

“Has there been another akuma attack?” Alya pulled out her phone, immediately looking up the news. “There should be an immediate way of finding this stuff out.” She complained as she scrolled.

“He’s headed towards my parent’s bakery! I should go make sure they’re ok!” Marinette ran off as Alya was still checking her phone. 

“There isn’t anything on the news yet… maybe we’ll be the first ones on the scene! That would be awesome for my ladyblog.” Alya said, catching up to her. 

Marinette would get home a lot faster if she could just become Ladybug now. But how was she to detach from Alya? They would split at her parent’s place she decided. It was only a few blocks away. Once there, she ran for the bakery door. 

“What are you doing? Cat Noir went that way!” Alya asked, pointing towards downtown. 

“I want to check on my parents. You go ahead!” She yelled back as she ducked into the bakery. “Hi mom, Hi dad.” She smiled to her parents before heading upstairs. Losing no time, she got Tikki to transform her the second she was in her room. Ladybug jumped out of the trapdoor and tried to catch up to Cat Noir. She headed downtown, trying to spot any supervillains but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Eventually, she did find Cat Noir. He was standing on the rooftop of one of the higher buildings, overlooking the city. 

“What’s up Cat Noir?” She asks, landing next to him. 

He jumped a little, clearly startled before regaining his cool. “Miss me already bugaboo?” He smiled at her. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes, ignoring what he had just called her. “I saw you jumping around the city. Did you see an akuma?”

“Oh that. No, I just had some time on my hands and figured I could keep watch on the city and help with other more normal crimes.” His gaze turned back to the streets of Paris. 

Ladybug blinked at him. “That’s not a bad idea. Only I think you may have worried any onlookers that they might be in danger.”

“Well they may be right. Look.” He points to what appeared to be a giant cat in the streets. 

“Is that a lion!?” Ladybug gasped. 

“Must have escaped from the zoo. Let’s go!” And before she knew it, Cat Noir was jumping towards the lion in question. Ladybug threw her yo-yo, latching on to a nearby satellite dish and swung her way in the same direction. She landed next to Cat Noir a few hundred meters from the lion, surrounded by people frantically running away. 

“What’s your plan?” She asked.

“Guess we should try to trap it.” He catapulted himself towards the lion, landing on its back. He set his staff on the ground allowing Ladybug to use it as an anchor for her yo-yo as she whipped around the animal before giving a strong tug and wrapping the lion’s paws in the string of her yo-yo. “Well done LB.” Cat Noir smiled at her, jumping off the lion’s back as it fell on its side, giving a gentle roar as it squirmed. An animal control vehicle pulled up and someone quickly exited to give the lion a sedative. 

“Thanks, Ladybug. Thanks, Cat Noir.” One of the animal control guys said as they got a large stretcher to pick up the giant cat. “Was this cat released by an akumatized villain?” He asked worriedly. 

“Nope, just your typical zoo escape.” Cat Noir explains. “We should do this again sometime Ladybug.” He said, putting his arm around her. 

Ladybug brushed his arm off and took a step back. “My days are busy enough as it is.” 

“Can’t keep making me waiting until the next akuma attack to see those beautiful eyes.” He winked at her. A siren echoed in the distance and Cat Noir's ears turned in their direction. “At least think about it.” He smirked before catapulting himself away in the direction of the source of the siren. 

What a flirt. Ladybug rolled her eyes before following him at a more leisurely pace. By the time she caught up to him, he already had what appeared to be two robbers knocked out for the waiting police he was talking to. Clearly he had things under control so Ladybug snuck away to go back home, detransforming once in her room. 

“Looks like you found a new hobby.” Tikki smiled up at her. 

“Just what I needed.” Marinette replied sarcastically. But Cat Noir had the right idea. Why not help out with regular crimes as well? Maybe they could work out a schedule or something. It's not like they were both needed for smaller crimes as Cat Noir had just proved. She mulled over the idea as she pulled together some more light blue yarn. Adrien could use some mittens to go with that scarf and whether he was expecting one or not, she wanted to give him a gift from her that he would actually be aware of. As she worked, she made a mental timetable on how she could balance being ladybug outside of akuma attacks and her usual school schedule and chores. The tricky part would be sneaking off and lying to her parents and her friends. But she had to put Paris first. Look at where her selfishness had got her the previous day. Cat Noir was right, they had the opportunity to do even more good and they should take it.


	5. The Pharaoh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya is not to be deterred and Adrien makes a surprising discovery.

Ladybug was a tenth-grade student. That’s what Alya had discovered. Adrien was also in the tenth grade. His heart had been so happy and hopeful. Only then it had turned out that she was at least 5 thousand years old. Saving the world way back in ancient Egypt! Adrien groaned. Embarrassed by how young he was by comparison. No wonder Ladybug kept pushing him away! He was crushed. His hopes that he might even know her in real life dashed. Let alone the hope that maybe they attended the same school. The love of his life couldn’t really be that old, could she?

“Plagg could Ladybug really be thousands of years old?” He asked his kwami once he had detransformed in a nearby alleyway, handing him a piece of cheese.

The kwami burst out laughing. “I can extend your life maybe an extra hundred years, but thousands?” He laughed again.

That part about Plagg extending Adrien’s life was a surprise but he could get back to that later. 

“So Ladybug isn’t actually from ancient Egypt?” 

Plagg blinked and sighed. “Remember when I told you there had been superheroes in the past.” He seemed bored by the topic but at least he was talking. “I’ve been looking over every Cat Noir since the beginning of time. But you mortals don’t last very long. Any Ladybug from ancient Egypt wouldn't be the same wielder as today’s.” 

“Wait. Hold up. You’ve been around since the beginning of time?” Adrien stopped walking. 

“Yup so is Ladybug’s Kwami.” Plagg yawned. “Can we go home now? You’re out of cheese.” 

Adrien transformed again and quickly made his way home. The idea that Plagg had been around for not only thousands but billions of years was something he couldn't wrap his head around. He would have to ask about that some more later. In the meantime, he allowed his heart to swell again. Ladybug could be a tenth grader like him after all. She had probably gone along with the whole thousands of years old thing to make Alya less suspicious. She seemed to know about the ladyblog Alya was running, enough to know that Alya was, as she had said, bossy, feisty and bold. And she knew about how Alya thought she was a high school student given her parting remark to the girl. It made a lot more sense. That first time they had fought off Captain Hardrock together, she had definitely seemed like someone who was learning the ropes just like he was. His hopes were raised anew. Ladybug was most likely his age and really could be someone at his school. Relieved, he went home with an extra spring in his step. 

He swiftly entered through his open window into his bedroom and detransformed, eager to ask the questions that had been brewing inside on the journey home. He quickly gave Plagg some cheese then settled on the couch, waiting for the Kwami to finish.

“What?” Plagg asked, clearly annoyed?

“You tell me you’re as old as the universe and you expect me to let that go?” 

Plagg sighed. “Alright, what do you want to know? I better get something special out of this.”

Adrien took out his phone. “Name whatever cheese you like.”

Plagg’s eyes sparkled and didn't hesitate to gleefully made his request. 

“So what were you up to in ancient Egypt?” Adrien asked as he ordered the cheese, might as well start with the relatively recent history. 

“Which dynasty?”

“Tutankhamun’s.”

“Figures. I wasn’t around for that one much. “

“What? Why not?”

“Let’s just say there was a complication and my wielder’s identity wasn’t safe anymore…”

“But-“

“Now the Roman empire! I have some good stories about those days!”   
Adrien listened utterly fascinated as Plagg told stories that would no doubt make any historian drool. It was late when they finished talking and Adrien realized he hadn’t studied at all for his history test on ancient Egypt. Hopefully, he would remember enough of the material. 

“Hey Plagg,” Adrien asked, getting into bed as Plagg made his usual little nest on the pillow beside him. “You mentioned earlier that you could extend my life by 100 years.”

“Yeah.” Plagg looked away, clearly uncomfortable. 

“Does that mean I’ll be feeding you stinky cheese until I die?” It wasn’t quite where he had initially envisioned the conversation going but Plagg looked uneasy enough that he changed course. 

“That’s the deal.” Plagg smiled at him, quoting what he had said when they were first getting to know each other. 

Adrien smiled. “Sounds good.” Adrien had a hard time falling asleep with all the information floating around his head. He could hear from Plagg’s gentle snore that the Kwami was fast asleep. If his life was going to be extended by Plagg then so would Ladybug’s by her own kwami. Just another reason they would make the perfect couple. Who would want to outlive their soul mate by a century? Besides, how could he keep his secret from a family if he did eventually get married to someone other than Ladybug? It would be a nightmare. He wanted to be a strong presence in his eventual kids' lives. Do things right. If he was going to be Cat Noir for the rest of his life… could he even have a family in the first place then? Adrien tossed over to face the other way, hoping the movement would chase away the thought. Did he want to be Cat Noir forever? He hadn't really thought of it before. Did he even have a choice? What would happen to Plagg if he took off the ring and never gave it to anyone? The idea of life without his kwami wasn’t something he liked either. He wished he could speak with Ladybug about all this stuff. He would talk about it more tomorrow with Plagg. Get more answers. For now, he knew that for the foreseeable future, he would be Cat Noir. 

*****

“Well that was easy.” Alya said as they exited class after their history test. “Good thing we went to that exhibit yesterday uh girl?” She nudged Marinette. 

Marinette smiled in agreement. No kidding. She had even talked to Tikki that morning about what ancient Egypt had really been like. It was crazy to think about everything Tikki had lived through! History classes were about to become a lot more interesting. What amazed Marinette the most was how her kwami, despite her age and all she lived through, still cared about Marinette’s little mundane life. She was so lucky to have been chosen as the next Ladybug and have Tikki by her side. She couldn’t imagine life without her now. 

“I’ve been doing some more digging on Ladybug’s past. I found a really old picture of her from the early 1900s but look!” She pulled out her phone as they walked to a nice place to sit for lunch. “Look how different she looks!” She zoomed in on a black and white fuzzy image of a different Ladybug who had very light hair.

Marinette laughed, trying to keep her nervousness in check. “I guess she dyes it.” 

“Or maybe there’s been more than one Ladybug! That they’re all different and the current Ladybug may be a high school student like us after all.”

“More than one Ladybug? How could that be possible?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she can transfer her powers or something…” Alya seemed deep in thought trying to figure it out. 

Marinette was worried. Alya was getting too close to the truth. 

“I think it’s more likely than Ladybug being a thousand years old. If you look closely at the picture, you can see that even her face is a little different but it’s given me an idea!” Alya continued. “Tomorrow, I’m going to bring a picture of Ladybug and cut out her face and see if anyone in the school matches it.”

Marinette was definitely getting nervous now. She’d have to make sure that Alya wouldn’t compare her to the picture. 

“Maybe Ladybug can shapeshift! Make herself look however she wants.” Marinette was desperate for Alya to go back to thinking that Ladybug was thousands of years old.

“I am wondering about how much of her appearance changes with her costume. I mean Cat Noir’s eyes can’t actually be that all-encompassing green could they? Maybe it’s more of a transformation like the Hulk than a costume… It could be anyone!” Alya continued thinking out loud. 

“If that’s the case maybe her face isn’t the same either.” Marinette felt hopeful. If her friend kept thinking along that train of thought, her identity would be safer. 

“Maybe, but I’m going to give my plan a try anyway.” They two girls settled down on the front steps, opening their lunch bags. 

Marinette was at a loss of what else she could say to deter her friend. At least Alya was thinking Ladybug could be anyone regardless of appearance. That was something. There weren’t that many dark-haired, blue-eyed students in their school. In reality, it was a little surprising that once Alya had deduced that Ladybug went to their school that she hadn’t immediately gone through the list of dark haired girls. Marinette wondered, not for the first time, if magic was involved in helping keep her identity a secret because she really didn’t physically look that different as Ladybug. That’s why it was so important that she not be around the next day when Alya tried matching faces. She would find an excuse; she was getting good at those. Marinette took a bite of her croissant sandwich and snuck a little in her purse for Tikki. 

"It has to be the miraculous." Alya said to herself. 

"What?" Marinette asked in between bites. 

"The thing that gives Cat Noir and Ladybug their powers. That could explain why Hawkmoth wants them..."

Marinette froze. Alya was getting too close. 

"Why Hawkmoth wants what?" Adrien asked from behind them. 

Marinette let out a yelp and jumped, nearly dropping her sandwich. She quickly composed herself, looking down trying to slow her heartbeat as Nino and Adrien sat next to Alya pulling out their own lunches. 

"I've got a new theory on Ladybug and Cat Noir." Alya's eyes were bright with excitement as she explained her thinking.

"Cool." Nino smiled, but his focus was mostly on his own lunch. 

"I think you might be right." Adrien smiled.

"Right! To think that we may know Ladybug without realizing it!"

"Yeah Crazy." Adrien said softly.

Marinette observed the exchange and felt goosebumps at the soft look that was on Adrien's face. Did Adrien admire Ladybug? Her heart started working double time again.

"Does this mean that there might have been some Cat Noirs in the past too? You've already found two Ladybugs after all." Nino wondered. 

"Maybe. Guess I have some more digging to do before posting this theory on the Ladyblog."

Marinette relaxed slightly. That gave her time to figure something out.

"If Ladybug was a girl at our school who would be your guess?" Alya asked the boys. 

Adrien stroked his chin as he considered it. 

"I always thought she sort of looked like Marinette." Nino said between bites of his lunch. Adrien stared at her wide-eyes and Marinette's heart stopped. "But that's ridiculous."

Marinette forced a laugh that she hoped sounded natural. "Yeah right." She rolled her eyes. "I'd make such a clumsy Ladybug!"

Alya laughed. "Besides, Marinette was with me at the museum yesterday. She got turned into a mummy."

"You were?" Adrien looked at her surprised. 

"Yeah, I don't remember much. Good thing Ladybug saved the day! Hey maybe it's Juleka, she has dark hair." Marinette threw in. 

"But remember, Ladybug might not have dark hair in real life." 

"I can't really see any of our classmates as Ladybug to be honest." Adrien said before taking a sip of a juice box.

"Maybe she's a teacher!" Alya exclaimed. 

Adrien choked on his drink and started coughing. 

"You ok dude?" Nino asked, tapping him on the back. 

"Yeah, wrong tube... A teacher really?" He looked sick. 

"Maybe!" Marinette eagerly agreed. Adrien looked about ready to throw-up. 

"You sure you're ok?" Nino asked. 

"Yeah uh, I'll just join you guys in class ok." Adrien quickly got up and made his way inside. 

"Maybe you should go after him Nino. He looked really ill." Alya suggested. 

"Nah. If my boy needs to throw up, he won't want anyone around." The bell rang and the three students collected their things. "I'll check on him in Science." Nino added as they walked inside the school and went to their lockers. As Marinette walked pass the boy's room, she looked at it worriedly. She hoped Adrien would feel better. 

*****

Ladybug couldn't be a teacher. She just couldn't be. Adrien had quickly ran into a bathroom stall and was taking slow breaths to calm his fears. Plagg burst out laughing once the coast was clear. "Can you imagine if you've been in love with a teacher this whole time." Plagg laughed some more. 

Adrien felt too sick to his stomach at the thought of it to get angry with Plagg. The kwami must have realized he found it less than amusing however since he stopped laughing and gave Adrien a concerned look. 

"Are you ok?"

"Is it possible?" He had been so sure she was a teenager... "You said a kwami could extend a life, can you make a wielder look younger?"

"No, that we can't do." Plagg answered without cracking a joke. 

Adrien took another deep breath. He had to believe that Ladybug was his age. He looked similar enough to his alter-ego. It must be the same for Ladybug. She had to be around his age. 

"Typically, the miracoulous are given to younger wielders. It allows a better and stronger bond." Plagg admitted. 

"Really?" Adrien felt relieved. "You don't think she's a teacher than?"

Plagg nodded, clearly worried about him. 

Adrien stood up. "Thanks Plagg." 

"You should have seen your face!" Plagg teased him, sensing it was safe to do so again. Adrien smiled at him. Ladybug was his age. He could still love her. Everything was fine. "It was even more priceless than Diotisalvi's when he discovered his tower was leaning." Plagg laughed again. "I don't know why he was so upset, the thing was so short at the time. Besides, it all worked out in the end."

"Are you talking about the Tower of Pisa?" Adrien paused before walking out of the bathroom. 

Plagg looked nervous for a second. "Yeah."

"One of these days I have to hear all your stories." Adrien shook his head in amazement. "Are there any artefacts of you lying around like Ladybug?" 

"Probably. The Egyptians especially loved me, despite my short time there. Of course, that may have been part of the problem..."

Adrien laughed in wonder as Plagg hid before he left the bathroom and quickly ran to class. He couldn't wait for the day to be done to hear more of Plagg's stories. Maybe he and Ladybug could swap their Kwami stories one day too. He happily got to class to three surprised looks from his friends. 

"You ok dude?" Nino asked. 

"Never better."


	6. Lady Wifi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to cheer Alya up and Adrien reflects on his decision.

The few seconds during which Adrien had thought that Chloe was Ladybug were the creepiest of his life. He hadn’t initially believed that Chloe could possibly be the girl behind the mask when Nino had brought up Alya’s theory but then when he had seen her in that costume… The real Ladybug had shown up not soon after but the hair difference alone would have made it clear otherwise.   
They had come close today to finding out their real identities. He had rushed to find his ring in the freezer and he had barely had time to transform just before Ladybug had set him free. He smiled fondly at how warm her hug had felt after being trapped in the cold. He would have gladly stayed in her arms longer if it hadn’t been for her time being limited. But that hug. Ladybug had been so protective and he could feel her worry for him. That had to mean something right? But obviously not enough of something for her to let him see who she really was. If only it had taken them a few more seconds… then he wouldn’t have faced that terrible decision. She would have transformed in front of him and it would have been an accident. But no, they had beat lady Wifi with enough time for Ladybug to get to that janitor closet.   
He had nearly opened it. He had started to before realizing what he was doing. She trusted him. The girl of his dreams was behind that door, vulnerable and trusting that he would let her keep her secret. Betraying her trust wouldn’t get him anywhere closer to her falling for him. One day he would find out and it would be because she loved and trusted him in return. At least he knew who it wasn’t. Chloe was far too different from his Ladybug. Then again, he was pretty different as Cat Noir then as Adrien. As Cat Noir, he could be as cheeky and silly as he pleased. Ladybug didn’t really seem to use her mask as an excuse to be free though. She was always about the job and took it incredibly seriously. Adrien couldn’t imagine her being that different without the mask. Adrien thought for a while. Did he know anyone who stood up to evil with the strength and confidence of Ladybug? Alya came to mind but obviously she wasn’t Ladybug since she had just been akumatized that very day and was the author of the Ladyblog. It did give him an idea though. Who else had he seen at the same time as Ladybug? Was there anyone he had never seen at the same time? Of course, the odds that he actually knew Ladybug in real life were slim. Alya seemed to have given up on the theory that Ladybug went to their school. Besides, Ladybug trusted him not to snoop and so he wouldn’t. Until she was ready to reveal herself to him, he would continue to follow his heart. 

“Adrien you’re out of cheese.” Plagg pouted. 

“There’s some downstairs just hold up.” Adrien rolled his eyes feeling irritated. Plagg had been in a mood ever since they had defeated Lady Wifi. 

“Maybe something warm? Cheese fondue perhaps?”

“Is that why you’re being grumpy? You’re cold?” The freezer had been chilly but Plagg hadn’t seemed cold afterwards.

“I’m not grumpy.” Plagg refuted. 

“Well then you’re sulky.”

Plagg huffed but didn’t deny it. 

Adrien texted his chef, requesting the cheese fondue. “So if it isn’t the cold what’s bothering you?”

“Nothing, mind your own business.” Plagg turned his back to him. 

Adrien sighed and walked around so he would face his kwami again. If not the cold… “Are you pouting because I didn’t open the door?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I care if you decided to torture yourself for no good reason by not discovering your love’s identity and end your daily misery? It makes no difference to me.”

Adrien knew he occasionally got on Plagg’s nerves with his talk of Ladybug but could that really be it?

“Well as long as you don’t care…” Adrien smiled knowingly. 

“Nor do I care that I didn’t get to talk with Ladybug’s kwami because of your decision.” 

Ah, so there it was. “You know Ladybug’s kwami?” Plagg had mentioned her before but he didn’t think they could know each other very well what with their wielders always needing to keep their identities secret. Then again, if they were both as old as the universe then perhaps they got to know each other before humans were even a thing. “What is Ladybug’s kwami like?” Adrien asked when Plagg didn’t respond. 

“An annoying goody-two-shoes but at least she’s a sophisticated being like me.”

“I guess it must get lonely having just me to talk to uh?” Adrien frowned. 

“You’re alright.” Plagg shrugged, looking less angry. “When is diner getting here? Your chef is taking forever!”

Clearly, they were done talking about it. “It’ll be here soon.” Adrien rolled his eyes and grabbed his homework. At least Plagg didn’t seem sulky anymore because he flew to take a closer look at what he was working on.

“Dinosaurs? I thought you were past that in history class.” Plagg scoffed.

“This is for a science paper on carbon dating.” 

“Lame. Dinosaurs weren’t even that cool looking, they were all covered in feathers.”

Adrien paused. “Really?” He asked wide-eyed. 

“And such wimps too.” Plagg continued. “Have I ever told you the story of how I caused their extinction?” 

Adrien laughed and rolled his eyes. Plagg had also tried to make him believe that genies existed and that Atlantis had been a real place. Adrien ignored him as he worked on his paper until dinner showed up and Plagg had been too busy eating to finish his story. As if his tiny kwami could have killed off the largest species on earth. Adrien chuckled to himself at the thought. Adrien felt bad that he was the only person Plagg could talk to but he was glad that he had Plagg to talk with all the time. Somehow, despite the stinky cheese and teasing, the kwami had become his best friend. 

*****

How could she possibly have believed that Chloe was Ladybug? Alya was embarrassed by her initial theory. Not as embarrassed as she was to falling victim to Hawkmoth however. Hanging out with Marinette had cheered her up though. After taking a few selfies with her new phone, they had settled down with some hot chocolate and some of her dad’s pastries. They really were the best in the city. 

“I can’t believe you thought Chloe was Ladybug!”

“How did you know that?” Alya did a double take. Nino must have told her. Darn. Why had she opened her big mouth? 

“Nino told me while he was explaining why you got suspended. Thank goodness the principal saw reason and took that back.”

Alya was glad that her stunt as Lady Wifi had accomplished that much. Then she felt guilty for feeling glad about her akumatization in any way. “I would have told you if you had just picked up your phone.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She regretted it the instant she saw Marinette’s face fill with shame. 

“I’m sorry. I saw your missed calls but then the cell tower was down near my place…” 

That made Alya mad. She was tired of Marinette’s excuses “Where did you even disappear to the other day? You had gone to the washroom and then I didn’t see you the rest of the day or the following morning.” She was still angry. “I called you right after I got suspended. I needed you.” She said, looking down. Marinette was her best friend so she felt bad for yelling but she had been hurt and she could feel tears threaten to form. 

“I’m really sorry Alya.” Marinette moved closer to give her a hug. “I fell asleep doing the homework you brought me – thank you for bringing it by the way – but then I hadn’t set my alarm and when I woke up I was already an hour late.”

Marinette always slept in. That girl was so disorganized sometimes. Marinette must have felt her hostility because she lowered her head so Alya could see her face. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a crappy friend lately. You deserve way better for all you do for me.” 

Alya felt her anger defuse. She smiled at her friend. “You didn’t know what was going on.” 

“I should have though.”

“Well you’re here now.” Alya smiled and Marinette smiled back. All was forgiven. “You realize I don’t have anything for my ladyblog for this attack. I don’t remember anything from the whole affair. Ladybug and Cat Noir were right there in front of me. I was so close to getting an interview! Now? Nothing.”

“Well maybe Alya doesn't have any footage but Lady Wifi did.” Marinette smiled. 

“Girl you are a genius!” She gave her friend a huge hug.   
*****

Alya, as Lady Wifi, had uploaded all those videos from her old phone into the cloud and they were going through them know. Alya had been horrified at how she had treated her heroes and Marinette hadn’t been sure that it was a good idea to keep watching but Alya had wanted to know what happened. 

“I hope they don’t blame me.” She had said in a low voice. 

“I’m sure they don’t. They know that it wasn’t actually you.”

“But they don’t know the real me.” Alya lamented. If ever there was a moment that Marinette wanted to reveal herself it was then. The moment passed however when they got to the footage of Ladybug busting the freezer door open and a frozen Cat Noir crashed into her as the pair fell to the ground. 

“They’re so cute. Look at her all worried about Cat Noir and holding him close.” Alya sighed. 

Marinette nearly did a double take. “Uh really? What do you mean?” She asked, trying to play it cool. She had been worried about Cat but not in a cute way. And he had just been so cold, she was just trying to warm him up.

“Please those two are made for each other.” Alya said with certainty. 

“You’re just saying that because they’re both superheroes.” Marinette shot back. 

“Well it’s obvious that Cat Noir likes Ladybug.” 

Marinette refrained from rolling her eyes. Was that meaningless flirting what Alya was basing all of this on?

“And just look at how well they work together and trust and care for each other.”

They had to trust each other and look out for each other. That was the job. It didn’t mean they would make a good couple. She had been impressed by Cat Noir’s integrity though. She had heard him opening up the door behind her but then closing it once she had transformed into her civilian self. Despite wanting to know who she was (that little snoop), he had respected what she said and left. He could have been hiding out, waiting for her to come out of the closet but he had been nowhere in sight. He really was trustworthy. Marinette smiled to herself. But she did not like him that way. She shook herself. Now her and Adrien on the other hand... Marinette smiled brightly at the thought of them together. Now they would make a great couple. Adrien wasn't arrogant like Cat Noir was. And he made way better jokes. Still Cat Noir had proved himself trustworthy time and time again and it almost made her want to tell him the truth about her identity. She had even spoken to Tikki about it earlier. Her kwami had panicked. “Is that true? You’re going to tell him? Is that what your heart is saying?” she had asked. Yes, Marinette’s heart desperately wanted to share this huge secret with someone. But her head knew better and she was telling Tikki as much when Alya had interrupted with her new phone. 

“Hello! Earth to Marinette. You day-dreaming about Adrien again?” 

Marinette focused on her friend who was now editing the video together for her blog. “Yeah. Sorry.” She giggled.

“I think you were right about Adrien not being Cat Noir thought.” Alya laughed, the video was paused on a close-up of Cat Noir just before he covered the camera with a pan. “Just look at that grin. Adrien doesn’t smile like that.” Her friend laughed again. 

Marinette laughed at the image. Ok, so Cat Noir had a cute smile too. Totally different from Adrien’s though, as Alya had said, but cute. Just not that type of cute. She was a one guy girl after all. “Maybe you have a crush on Cat Noir. What was it you called him earlier? Slick?” She teased her friend. 

Alya laughed. “He’s cool and all but no. I think I’ll leave him to Ladybug.” 

Marinette joined in the laughter. She was glad her friend had seen reason. Adrien as Cat Noir? As if.


	7. Timebreaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is a funny thing and Alix needs some cheering up.

Her parents were so cute. Marinette hoped that she would be half as lucky after 20 years of marriage. She had been hoping to find time somewhere in her day to make her parents a celebratory cake.   
Both her parents were cuddled up in front of the TV, watching a movie. It looked like she had the time now. Marinette smiled to herself, going into the kitchen and started pulling out the ingredients while the oven heated up.

Time. 

Time travel sure gave her a headache. It had been one weird akuma attack. She had lost Cat Noir and had felt so angry and then worried that she would have to fight off Timebreaker on her own. If she failed, none of her friends would come back either. As much as it had pained her to see Cat Noir fade away in her arms, she shuttered at the thought of what would have happened if Cat Noir hadn’t sacrificed himself to save her. She was the only one who could de-evilize the akuma. Still, she wished he hadn’t needed to sacrifice himself in the first place. Cat Noir didn’t know about that first timeline. She had followed Timebreaker back in time and Cat Noir had reappeared to Marinette’s great relief. Only, he didn’t know he had reappeared. What a headache. And then there had been two of her. The extra help had been nice but it was also bizarre. She had been relieved when her double disappeared after they captured the akuma and de-evilized it. But she hadn’t really disappeared. Marinette had two set of memories. Had they just… fused and become one person? The whole thing was too confusing. She finished mixing the ingredients together, pouring it into the awaiting pan and set it in the oven. Now to get started on the icing. She’d have to make it thick since she didn’t have much time to let the cake cool before the movie ended. Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s purse, making sure the close was clear. Marinette giggled. “Go ahead.” She said, pulling the now nearly empty cake batter bowl closer. Tikki gleefully licked the batter away. 

“So tell me. How were you able to sense that the other Ladybug was… me?” Marinette winced at the oddness of it all. 

Tikki paused her licking. “We kwamis can sense each other’s presence. Well, their aura really. And I recognized ours.” 

“But you were in her earrings.” There came that headache again. 

“That’s the only time we can sense it. The kwami needs to be fully embedded with their wielder to have an aura.” 

“So when I’m just a normal civilian, we don’t have this aura thing?”

“That’s right.” Tikki smiled at her. “If only you could work out your math homework this quickly.” She laughed and went back to licking the batter. 

Right, she hadn’t finished her math homework yet either and then there was Alix’s party in a few hours… There was never enough time. 

******

Adrien was confused. Timebreaker had mentioned time travel and really what else would have caused two Ladybugs? But why hadn’t there been another Cat Noir? Not that he wanted the competition of course, but still, he wondered.   
Neither had he seriously wanted two Ladybugs around, his heart wouldn’t have known what to do. She was one of a kind after all and he was actually relieved that only one stuck around after the whole thing was over. But the fact that he didn’t have a double still bothered him. Timebreaker must have gotten to him. How embarrassing. He must have let Ladybug down. No wonder she didn’t like him.

“Stop looking so droopy. Did you forget we won today?” Plagg poked him out of his thoughts. 

“How is Ladybug supposed to fall in love with me if I keep letting her down and she’s gone the second we’re done saving the city?”

“You didn’t let her down. You distracted the akuma victims and managed to give the Ladybugs just enough time to stop them.“ Plagg said irritably. 

In this timeline maybe, Adrien thought to himself. Besides, him helping to save the day was nothing if Ladybug couldn’t get to know him when they weren’t busy saving the world. “Who came up with this whole 5-minute rule anyways.” Adrien said irritably. 

“That 5-minute rule saves my life I’d have you know!” Plagg was indignant. “Do you have any idea how much energy it requires from me for you to use your superpower? Why do you think I need to eat once you transform back?” Plagg huffed for good measure. 

Adrien hadn’t thought of that. He knew that his kwami needed to recharge with food after detransforming but he hadn’t really connected the dots. “Plagg… What would happen if I didn’t have food for you after transforming back?” Adrien asked, fearing the answer. 

Plagg shrugged. “The 5 minute rule ensures there’s no immediate danger and I just feel starved but there’s no way I can transform again before being fed.” Plagg fell dramatically on the bed, hand to his stomach. “Speaking of which, where’s dinner?”

Adrien pulled out a piece of cheese and gave it to him. “Guess there’s a lot I don’t know about kwamis.”

Plagg laughed. “Kid you don’t know the half of it.” Obviously, the kwami wasn’t going to elaborate as he was focusing on his food instead. Adrien always thought Plagg was just a pig but perhaps he really needed to eat as much as he did. That didn’t stop him from being picky and only wanting cheese, Adrien thought fondly, watching his kwami gulp down another piece of cheese. Pushing all his thoughts of inadequacy away, Adrien focused on wrapping up the math homework he hadn’t had the time to finish yet. If only speaking with Ladybug was just as easy. Akuma attacks notwithstanding there had been a few other moments when they had managed to speak. Perhaps he would be lucky enough that she would decide to go for an evening stroll tonight. Adrien hadn’t quite finished his homework but he could make time for that later. He called upon Plagg to transform him and he lost no time searching the city. There was no Ladybug in sight but last time he had jumped around, she had spotted him and had joined him. He moved around the city without any luck and, since the sun was setting, he figured he should cut his losses and go back home. On his way, he noticed Alix in the park near the school. Wasn’t there a surprise party for her today? Adrien had been invited but his dad had said no. What was she doing sitting on a bench, looking at some blue glowing thing in her hand? Curious, Cat Noir moved closer and hopped from the roof he was on to a nearby tree. 

“Is that a hologram!?” He exclaimed.

Alix jumped up, snapping her fingers around whatever was holding the hologram. 

“Sorry.” He smiled, jumping out of the tree a good few steps from her. 

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that!” She sat back down, arms crossed looking angry. 

Cat Noir chuckled and sat next to her on the bench. “Isn’t that the pocket-watch your akuma was in?” He pointed to the object in her hand. 

“None of your business.”

“You’ve had quite the day. What are you doing out here on your own?”

She eyed him untrustingly. 

“On your birthday.”

Her eyes bulged slightly. “How did you know?”

“I overheard some of your friends mentioning it after… you know.”

Alix looked down, cheeks turning red. 

“Being akumatized is nothing to be embarrassed about. It can happen to anybody.” Cat Noir said, guessing at the reason being her blush.

“Easy for you to say. You’ve never lived it.” She looked at him with fiery eyes again. 

“True. But you have a lot of friends who have. Ivan, Nino, Alya…”

“But they didn’t make people disappear. They didn’t kill anyone.” Alix averted her gaze.

“Neither did you. Ladybug’s lucky charm brought everyone back and besides, you weren’t yourself. You aren’t your akuma.” Cat Noir stared at her intently until she faced him. 

“I know that in my head. I just don’t feel it.” 

Cat Noir nodded. “You will. Especially if you talk to your friends about it.”

Alix blushed again. “I don’t know if they want to talk to me. I ran away from the surprise party they threw me.”

“They’ll understand.”

“Alix?” A voice yelled in the distance. 

“Alix, where are you?” An accompanying voice followed. 

“Your friends?” Cat Noir asked. 

“Yeah, sounds like Marinette and Alya.” 

“They sound worried, not mad.”

“Yeah…”

“Talk to them. I bet it’ll make you feel better.”

Alix nodded. “Thanks Cat Noir. You’re a good guy. Ladybug will see it one day too.”

Cat Noir was surprised by her comment but maybe she had heard their parting remarks to each other earlier after they had saved the day. He gave a slight bow in farewell and extended his staff and leapt onto a nearby roof. He scanned the city. Still no Ladybug.   
Below, Alix was calling to her friends who rushed over to her; Marinette gave her a hug before letting Alya do the same. Alix was in good hands now. Cat Noir made his way back home, glad that his venture out in the night had done some good.


	8. Mr Pigeon

“Natalie, get my son some antihistamines for the campaign.” Gabriel ordered from the tablet as Nathalie walked away. 

Adrien sneezed again and took a step back. 

“I had no idea feather allergies were so common.” Marinette said quietly to herself, quickly putting her derby hat back in the box, red with embarrassment. 

“Sorry Marinette, it really is an awesome hat. You’re even more talented than I thought!” Adrien said as he followed Nathalie off school grounds, sneezing one last time. 

Marinette sighed in contentment as she watched him go. 

“Way to set Chloe in her place girl!” Alya hugged her. 

“Did you hear how impressed he sounded?” Marinette sighed dreamily. 

“Yeah despite the sneeze attack it caused.”

“Maybe I should replace the feather with a synthetic one for the advertisement.” 

“Probably a good idea.” Alya laughed. “So was this another last minute project? It looked inspired by the recent akuma attack.”

“Not exactly, I was in the front of the Homme Museum when I saw this guy feeding the pigeons and it gave me the idea for the hat but I do think he ended up being the akuma victim.”

“You were on the scene and didn't tell me?” Alya starred at her. 

“I didn't actually see it. I was designing the hat and then rushed home to start making it.”

Alya huffed. “I guess it’s ok. This latest supervillain was a little odd anyways. Hawk Moth really can akumatized any emotion.”

“No kidding.” Marinette agreed. Sure that cop had been a little harsh but surely there were other places he could feed his pigeons. 

“We should celebrate. Your work just got recognized by your favourite designer!”

Marinette brightened. Mr Agreste hadn’t sounded overly impressed but he created way more amazing things on a daily basis and out of the hats presented, he had liked hers. Looked like she could work under pressure after all. 

*****

Adrien was still sneezing as they rode home. Nathalie mentioned she would stop by a pharmacy to get him his meds. Hopefully they would do the trick but he wouldn’t complain. The whole competition had been his idea to get his father to get to know his school and classmates better. Sure he hadn’t shown up in person but he had still done it.   
He couldn’t believe how Chloe had stolen Marinette’s design and then tried to make Marinette look like the cheater. Marinette had held her own and had even managed to impress his father which was no easy task. Adrien sneezed again. At least the advertisement wouldn’t be for a few days. He had gotten enough of pigeons for one day. His allergy had even messed up Ladybug’s plan. They had been so close to saving the day without her needing to use her lucky charm. Neither one of them would have been on the clock and they wouldn’t have been in a rush to leave the premises. Then again, how was Ladybug to return things to normal without a lucky charm? She would probably have to use her power even just to set things right but then they still would have had a bit more time together. He hadn't even gotten two words in after their fist bump before sneezing again and then Ladybug was gone. Stupid allergy.   
They had ruined his cool demeanour and the awesome pick up line he had thought of on his way downtown once he had realized what was going on. He had spotted Ladybug and so had perched himself while she had paused to watch the plane-shaped flocks of pigeons go by. She wouldn’t let him talk to her as he pretended to be a park keeper either. Adrien sighed as he leaned back just as Nathalie parked at the pharmacy. She wordlessly exited the car and Plagg took the opportunity to zip out of his pocket.

“Can we stop at the hotel again? That was the runniest, most delicious Camembert ever.” He said.

Adrien smiled fondly at his kwami. He had had Camembert on his person earlier that day of course but since the mayor had teased him about maybe needing a litter box… Why not get an extra treat for Plagg? It may have been foolish though. He had been seconds away from detransforming in front of that butler. 

But seriously; a litter box? He wasn’t an actual cat. He couldn’t get that upset though. He had been given the sweetest room of the hotel just to use the washroom as the mayor had assumed. 

“That’s where you friend Chloe lives right? We should visit more often.”

“I thought you said Chloe was a brat.”

“She is but I am willing to forgive her for cheese.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and, noticing Nathalie coming back, urged Plagg back into hiding. Nathalie offered him an antihistamine and a bottle of water and they went straight home. 

To Adrien’s surprise, his father was waiting in the entrance when they returned. “I must say I am impressed that this competition was the success that it was. That hat shows very good craftsmanship. Perhaps we could even use it in next year’s fashion show. I have a suit that would go perfectly with it. It was a good idea Adrien. Not the complete waste of time I had feared.” 

Adrien beamed. “Maybe you would like to get to know the designer? Marinette had lots of nice looking sketches in this notebook of hers.” He asked hopefully. He never had friends over aside from Chloe.

“No need.” He said. “But do get her permission to use it for the fashion show.” He said before turning his back to Adrien and heading back into his office, Nathalie in toe.

Adrien sighed. His father hated the idea of sharing his house with strangers. Why have a place so large if not to use it to entertain? It seemed silly. Even when his mother had been around he had been secluded but it hadn’t felt as bad back then. Adrien made his way to his bedroom. It was the size of a small apartment. Perfect for having friends over. What a waste. He closed the door a little harder than necessary and slumped on his couch. Plagg zipped out of his pocket and looked at him worriedly. 

“Want to play that video game you like?” He asked.

Adrien smiled at his kwami. Plagg found using the control tricky but he surprisingly enjoyed the Mecha Strike games and Adrien had gotten to play a lot recently.

“You’re on!” He quickly set up the game. At least there was one friend his father couldn’t prevent him from hanging out with.


	9. The Evillustrator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat Noir feels a little bitter about not being part of Ladybug's secret mission and Marinette deals with an awkward situation.

Ugh had Marinette really called Adrien a dream and the most awesome of awesome? ugh. Once she had computed that Adrien had touched her shoulder -Marinette giggled at the memory - what she had said to him started coming back to her. Oh, what a mess. She couldn’t help it, she wished she had better control of her emotions like Tikki had said but she just got all twisted up when Adrien was around. She sighed. Adrien must think she was an idiot. 

“Cheer up Marinette. I think he’s used to your blundering by now.” Tikki giggled. “Besides, you have someone else you need to worry about.” She said, hiding from view. Marinette looked at where she had been starring, Nathaniel was coming her way. Oh no. Had he heard about what had happened on the boat?  
“Hey Marinette.” He smiled shyly at her. 

“Hey.” She smiled back. He seemed unsure of what exactly he wanted to say to her. Marinette broke the awkward silence. “I hope you had a happy birthday in the end.” 

Nathaniel blushed. “Yeah it was good.” He rubbed at his neck. “Look about that… I wanted to thank you for helping Ladybug and Cat Noir turn me back into, well … me.” He said awkwardly. 

“Oh you heard about that?” It was Marinette’s turn to awkwardly rub her neck. 

“Yeah. That was really brave of you.” He said with admiration.

“You’re not… angry?” He had accused her of being just like Chloe after all… well the akumatized version of him had anyways. 

Nathaniel looked down. “No. I wasn’t myself. I’m so thankful Ladybug changed me back into my normal self. She was so amazing and kind.” He blushed. 

Marinette looked down awkwardly. So did that mean Nathaniel had a crush on her alter ego now instead of her?

“You were rescued by Cat Noir right?” Nathaniel continued. “They’re really amazing don’t you think?” 

Cat Noir’s rescue of her? Please. She had rescued him. “Yeah.” She said awkwardly instead. “Uhh Nathaniel about what Chloe said the other day….” 

“Oh that.” Nathaniel looked embarrassed. “It’s true I had a crush on you and I still think you’re amazing but I sort of have a crush on someone else now.”

Marinette was relieved. She didn’t know how she would let him down gently. “Friends?” She asked, reaching out her hand with a bright smile on her face.

“Friends.” He smiled at her and shook her hand. 

Still feeling a little awkward, Marinette was quick to change the subject. “You’re really talented Nathaniel. You should join our art club, we meet every Wednesday in the art room during the afternoon spare.”

“I don’t know, all I do is drawings.”

“Trust me, you’ll fit right in.”

“I’ll think about it. Thanks Marinette.” He waved and left. 

“Looks like Ladybug has another admirer.” Tikki smiled at her from her purse. Marinette blushed. What an odd thought it was for people crushing on her different identities. They were both her… weren’t they? 

“I can’t believe you helped Cat Noir and Ladybug and you didn’t even tell me!” Alya was running towards her with her phone. Clearly her interview with Chloe was done. “I just heard about his rescuing you! Can I interview you for my blog?” 

“Oh well… There isn’t much to tell…” 

“Come on you owe me for having kept this secret!”

“Maybe if you had swapped teams with me…” Marinette nudged her. 

“Please I did you a service and you know it. You wouldn’t have been able to put two sentences together whereas I was able to brag about your designs and winning personality to Adrien.” 

“Really?! Tell me everything!” Her friend giggled but then proceeded to talk all about her conversation with Adrien, interview apparently forgotten. 

*****

Marinette had been a little confusing but Adrien was pretty sure she had been saying that she thought Cat Noir was awesome. Adrien smiled. Chloe obviously didn’t think much about his alter ego, Adrien though back to how she had complained about the manner in which they had saved her life, He rolled his eyes. None of his other friends had ever really interacted with him as Cat Noir until earlier that day. It had been the first time he actually got to be fully himself around both Chloe and Marinette and he had been curious about what they had thought. Ok so maybe he had played it up a bit. He had shown off quite a bit in front of Marinette but she had just seemed so impressed with him. It had stroked his ego and he had felt good about it. Later he thought he had probably overdone it. He may have come across a bit too strong. Maybe that’s why she had kept her distance after they had escaped from the glass cube. Marinette had turned out to be really helpful with her idea to extend his staff. She had been quite resourceful during their stint as well.  
He hadn’t known that she and Nathaniel were a thing but they were both artistic. It made sense. Assuming that their romance would survive his akumatization of course but Marinette was pretty good about forgiving the actions of her previous akumatized friends. They would probably be fine. His initial thought when Ladybug had sent him a picture of Marinette was what his kind classmate could have possibly done to make the Evillustrator mad. Her being the object of his affections had made way more sense. 

He wondered where Ladybug had been. What had that whole secret mission thing been about? Since when did she even have secret missions that didn’t involve him? Besides, what could possibly have been more important than fighting the akuma? She had been acting weird earlier that day too. She had been rude to Chloe who had been so happy to have her around. Sure Chloe could be a bit much, he himself was happy when Ladybug had called him away but still.  
She must have gone to look for the Evillustrator instead of waiting around for him to show up. Somehow she had found out about his plan with Marinette and the boat. She must have found something else out at the same time only she wouldn’t tell Cat Noir what. Adrien sighed. Maybe it was a civilian-related thing. Only that didn’t sound right. Ladybug wouldn’t push aside her job for a personal matter, would she?  
This is why they should know each other’s real identities. So they could talk about all this stuff, Adrien though bitterly. 

“Plagg why is it so important for us to keep our identities from each other?” 

“I told you, it’s caused issues.”

“Well not knowing is also causing issues. Ladybug left me to deal with the akuma victim on my own while she was out on her secret mission.”

That seemed to catch the kwami’s attention. “Secret mission?” He asked. 

“So it’s not just me. That’s weird right?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Plagg recovered his shock and went back to eating cheese.

“You’re hiding something from me. Tell me what it is.” Adrien got up, confiscating the last piece. 

Plagg sighed. “Look, I don’t know what Ladybug ran off to do but there’s still a lot you don’t know about being a miraculous wielder. I can’t say more than that. You’ll find out when the time is right.” 

Adrien was intrigued but he let it go. He threw the piece of cheese back at Plagg and went back to resting on the couch. So there was more to the job was there? Why was Ladybug privy to this information and not him? Angry, Adrien stood up again and walked over to his window. It was still early, he hadn’t even had supper yet but he was mad and wanted to blow off some steam. 

“Plagg, claws out!” The kwami complained the little bit he could before being absorbed into his ring. 

Cat Noir leapt out of his window and moved as fast as he could to the Eiffel tower. By the time he got there, he was feeling a lot better. He tried his luck and gave Ladybug a call. No answer. He left a voicemail. 

“Hey LB, I was hoping we could talk about yesterday. Maybe we could meet up this evening at the Eiffel tower? I’ll be there at seven.” He hung up and walked around observing the city for a bit before heading back home for dinner. He hoped Ladybug would get his message. 

*****

“Great dinner as always Mr DC.” Alya complemented Marinette’s dad. 

Marinette smiled. It had turned out to be a pretty perfect evening. Marinette had ended up giving Alya her interview and had pretended to gush over having been ‘saved’ by Cat Noir. After the camera stopped filming, she told Alya about her embarrassing interaction with Adrien. As predicted, her friend had found it hilarious and told her not to worry too much. 

“I didn’t realize Adrien was such a Cat Noir fan.” Alya had said. “Maybe you made him jealous.”

Marinette blushed. 

“Only teasing.” Alya had laughed again. She had probably meant that Adrien was jealous that he hadn’t gotten to meet the superhero but part of her had wanted Adrien to feel jealous of Cat Noir hanging out with her. How messed up was that?  
She focused instead of the thought of Cat Noir and Adrien meeting. Maybe she could set it up if Adrien was really that big of a fan… Although she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of them meeting. She had a feeling it would turn into some kind of pun-off since Adrien also enjoyed puns but something else about the thought distressed her. 

“You’re welcome anytime.” Her mother said, breaking Marinette away from her thoughts. 

“Thanks Mrs DC. Wish I could stay longer but unfortunately, I’m on babysitting duty. I’ll see you at school tomorrow Marinette! Looking forward to your baking lesson Mr DC!” Alya waved goodbye and hurried out the door, probably running a little late for said babysitting. 

Marinette hugged her parents and went up to her room. Once there she sat at her computer trying to decide what to do. She had done all her homework already and so she had a rare evening to herself. She could help her parents with that cake order they were planning on working on tonight… A nearby siren changed her mind. 

“Tikki, spots on!” She was out her trapdoor right as the police car was zooming by. She followed it to its destination. Her heart seized at the sight of the car crash in front of her. A firefighter was already on the scene trying to pry a crumbled door open to get to the stuck driver inside, two kids were off to the side. They must have been in the back and thankfully didn’t look too injured. Ladybug rushed to offer her help and yanked the door open before quickly lending her hand to the driver who had a large gash on his forehead. The airbag was nowhere in sight. 

“Thanks Ladybug!” The firefighter quickly placed a shock blanket around the driver who was rushing to her kids. Thankfully a paramedic was quick to inspect her head. 

Ladybug went to soothe the kids as their mother was getting bandaged. Only then did she notice her yoyo buzzing. She pulled it out and noticed a missed message. Oh no, had she missed an akuma attack. She quickly put some distance between her and the people around to listen to the voicemail Cat Noir had left her. She immediately felt relieved that he was ok but also a little irritated. Perhaps she shouldn’t have shown him the communication aspect of their weapons. She checked the time. It was nearly seven. She looked back at the scene of the car crash. Things were under control and so she made her way to the Eiffel tower, not sure what fake secret mission she could come up with to keep her identity secret. By the time she arrived, she still wasn’t sure what she would tell him. The sun was setting but she spotted her partner easily enough sitting on one of the beams watching the sunset. Ladybug softly landed next to him. 

“I see you got my message.” Cat Noir smiled at her looking happier than his voicemail had let on. 

“Had me worried until I listened to it. I think we should save it for emergencies.”

Cat Noir looked a little crestfallen but quickly recovered. “Whatever you say milady. I’m glad you decided to drop by anyways.”

“You sounded upset.” She eyed him accusingly. He didn’t seem upset. 

“I was.” Cat Noir admitted. “I don’t like there being secrets between us. And before you say it, I don’t mean our civilian secrets. You had a hero secret today and that just felt…”

“Wrong?” Ladybug finished for him. 

“Yeah. I thought we were a team.”

“We are.” Ladybug assured him, placing her hand on his slumped shoulder. “It wasn’t a superhero thing.”

“It wasn’t?” Cat Noir looked at her surprised. 

“No.” Ladybug looked away, feeling her cheeks warm. What to say… a partial truth? “I had to deal with something in my civilian life.”

“During an akuma attack.” He looked sceptical. 

Ladybug smiled at him. “I knew you would have things covered. The Evillustrator wasn’t too harmful.” 

“Say that to Marinette. She nearly drowned!” Cat Noir accused.

“No, she didn’t. Because of you. You handled things fine.” With her help unbeknownst to him, she thought bitterly. 

Cat Noir shook his head. “She helped a lot.”

The recognition softened her heart. “You’re a great superhero Cat Noir. I knew you’d take care of things for a bit while I dealt with some personal stuff. I’m sorry I kept you in the dark but it was an emergency.”

“I get it. I’m sorry I got mad.”

She hadn’t realized he had been mad but accepted the apology all the same. 

“So that Marinette girl was a big help in the end uh?”

“Yeah, she was great. Very calm and composed throughout the whole sting. You two would get along really well I think.”

Ladybug laughed. 

Cat Noir cocked his head curiously. “Unless you know her already?” 

Ladybug stopped laughing. “We shouldn’t talk about her personal lives.” She evaded the question.

“I know. I just meant I think you two have a bit in common.” 

“We both saved your but?”

It was Cat Noir’s turn to laugh. “That and you’re both super cute.” He winked at her. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the blush on her face. She was used to Cat Noir flirting with her but to hear him say that he thought her civilian self was cute… She stopped thinking down that track, doing her best to keep her face neutral. 

“So are we good?” She asked, looking straight at the darkening sky, the sun having long fully set. 

“Yeah, thanks LB.”

“Well, in that case, I should head home.”

“Are you sure? We could get an ice cream or something.”

“Sorry Kitty Cat. I’ve got that civilian stuff to attend to.”

Cat Noir looked disappointed but nodded in understanding. “Hope everything’s ok.”

Ladybug regarded him softly. “It is. Thanks.” She smiled before hopping off the beam and swung away, humming softly to herself as she made her way home.


	10. Rogercop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One heroes' good day is another's bad day.

What a crazy and unusual day. The akuma attack wasn’t the unusual part. No, the fact that Paris’ police force had been after both Ladybug and Cat Noir thus forcing them to hide all afternoon and early evening as a fugitive; that was crazy. The police had already sent out an official apology so Marinette wasn’t as frustrated as she had been earlier that day. She understood that they were required to follow orders from higher up. But still, she had felt betrayed by the same city she risked herself to save almost every day. Her parents had also been worried sick about her during her absence. Her dad had immediately gone searching for her but hadn’t found her because, of course, she hadn’t been in the school. She made up an excuse as to how Rogercop had forced her to clean the girl’s toilet where she had gone to hide. After she had deevilized the akuma, Marinette had immediately gone home where her mom had given her a big hug and had called her dad who was still searching for her. Her mom had then made her favourite meal and given her another big hug before sending her off to bed. She hated how much she must have worried them. The guilt was heavy in her stomach but not as heavy as how her eyelids were feeling. She was so tired. She probably should have gone home as Marinette at some point to reassure her parents and get some rest but she was so focused on staying hidden while also keeping an eye on Rogercop. She could really use a break from fighting these akumas for a while. Having a double life was exhausting. 

But it had been worth it if only to get back at Chloe. What a brat, she had had the bracelet all along. How else would it have shown up at her house? It must have been in her pocket and fallen out during the fight. Marinette had to admit to herself that it had been awfully satisfying to throw the girl through the door. 

“It's about time that girl learned a lesson.” She said smugly to herself. 

“And you.” Tikki kindly reminded her. Right. She hadn’t been very kind to her classmates. “Have you thought about how you’ll make it right with your classmates?” 

Marinette sighed. “You’re right Tikki. I’ll make sure to apologize tomorrow.”   
Tikki smiled proudly at her. She would probably bring some croissants with that apology as well. 

Marinette settled into her bed and turned off the lights. She owed a lot of people an apology and she groaned at the memory of her accusing everyone. She hadn’t really thought any of them would have stolen the bracelet. She had just wanted to point out how ridiculous Chloe was being. Ok, so maybe her pride had pushed her too far. But she hated being accused of something she didn’t do. Not only that but Chloe thought she could manipulate everyone into doing her bidding whether it was fair or not. It was Chloe’s father’s fault. He went along and did her bidding. Marinette couldn’t wait for the day she could vote him out of office. In the meantime, she would simply enjoy Chloe’s embarrassment. With that happy thought, Marinette quickly fell asleep with a smile on her face. 

*****

“Alright. Paris is saved so it’s time you an I had a chat.” Adrien said angrily to Plagg once they were alone in his room. 

“I told you. I thought it was Camembert.” At least the kwami had the decency to look ashamed. 

“For a bunch of thousands of year old kwami you sure lack wisdom sometimes.”

“In my defence, a lot of those years were spent in a box.”

“You basically caused today’s akuma attack, prevented me from transforming and helping Ladybug not to mention the fact that someone could have seen you.” 

“Please. That no good mayor caused the akuma attack. Not me.”

Adrien stared at him angrily, his kwami didn’t have an answer for his other accusations apparently. He was interrupted from further yelling by a knock on his door. Plagg quickly hid in his shirt. 

“Yes?” 

“Your father wants to speak with you.” Nathalie said from the other side of the door. 

“I’ll be right there.” He answered. “We’ll talk about this later.” He told his kwami in a hushed voice. His father was at the dinner table. What a wonder he actually came out of his office for once. 

“Adrien. I’m glad to see you were unaffected by today’s attack.” His father said calmly and with a hint of affection that he hadn’t heard in a long time. 

“I was concerned when I saw you had left a voicemail. You can imagine my anger when I realized you had interrupted me simply to ask such a ridiculous request.” His father’s tone had quickly gone bitter. 

“But father, I had mentioned career day last week and you said you might arrange something. Remember?” Why did he even bother to get his hopes up anymore?

“Isn’t it enough that I let you go to that abysmal public school? You can’t possibly expect me to also take part in such a farce.”

Right. Why did he even ask? 

“I expect you to call me strictly for emergencies in the future.” His father continued sternly. 

“Yes father.” Adrien agreed dejectedly. His father returned to eating his meal and Adrien knew he had been dismissed so he went back to his room. Had his father even realized he had been absent nearly all evening? He didn’t feel like yelling at Plagg anymore. How was he any better than his father?

“Sorry for yelling at you Plagg.” He apologized. His kwami flew up to his face. 

“You were right though. I wasn’t thinking earlier today.” 

Adrien didn't have a reply. He was thinking back to the interaction he had just had with his father. It hadn’t always been that way. Before his mom had disappeared nearly a year ago they had been a happy family. He missed his mom so much. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. 

“Hey it’s ok. I’ll be more careful I promise.” Plagg wiped one of the tears away. 

“It’s not that.” Adrien reassured his kwami, wiping his own tears. 

“Is this about your father?” 

Adrien didn’t offer a reply, he instead let his tears fall. He was suffering from his mom’s absence just as much as his father was. And yet here he was trying to be the perfect son and still being treated like crap. It wasn’t fair. He could feel Plagg patting him on the shoulder. At least he had one person who cared for him.

“I’m glad you came to me Plagg. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He hugged his kwami who, to his surprise, let him. Plagg wasn’t typically the touchy-feely type. 

“It’s alright kid.” He continued to pat his shoulder. There was a note of worry in his tone. 

“I just miss my mom so much.” Adrien cried. 

Plagg left his side and Adrien looked up to see where he was going. His kwami had gone over to his nightstand and grabbed the picture of his mom and brought it to him. Adrien wiped his face with his sleeve and touched the picture before hugging the frame and letting himself curl up on his bed. Plagg found a corner on his neck and rubbed it. The small action was more affection than he had gotten in nearly a year. Adrien hugged himself harder and continued to cry until blissful sleep took over.


	11. Christmas Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I realize this episode came out between seasons but since it’s clearly the first Christmas since the whole series went down it needed to be before the valentine’s day episode so I decided to put it here.

Adrien couldn't believe his father had let all his closest friends and their families stay over for the remainder of Christmas Eve. Their dining room was filled to the brim and everywhere he looked people were smiling and laughing. It reminded him of the previous Christmas when his mom was still with them. He snuck some extra cheese for Plagg. He had been worried when his kwami had appeared so weak from his angry tirade around the city. He didn’t know if that’s what had caused Plagg to get so weak but either way he probably shouldn’t use his superpowers for destroying Christmas trees. What had he been thinking? His mom would have been so disappointed and, in the end, that’s what stopped him from doing something he would regret. 

He had enjoyed his evening stroll with the Santa Claus from the street. He wondered what made Ladybug so sure he was an akuma victim. He hadn’t looked a thing like it. That was until he had shown up as Santa Claws. What had she even been doing out on Christmas night? Did she not have a family to celebrate with? He felt bad for her if she didn’t. Maybe later he could meet up with her. She shouldn’t be alone on Christmas. Hawk Moth must have been lonely too. What poor soul makes an akuma on Christmas!

“You should have more potatoes. Are you sure you’re feeling better?” Marinette’s mom asked her daughter as she put more food on Marinette’s plate. 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” She smiled up at them. 

Adrien smiled at them. He had seen them enjoying their Christmas Eve dinner earlier that night but obviously they along with everyone else had room for this second unplanned meal. They had looked like such a tight knit family. He missed having that. Adrien forced a smile and grabbed some more turkey. He hadn’t eaten since lunch because he had been waiting for his dad to come down to eat. 

“Thank you for having me Adrien. But I need to get back to my sleigh. There’s still so much to do before tomorrow morning!” Santa Claus got up. “Merry Christmas everyone! Ho ho ho!” He handed out candy canes to everyone around the table. 

“That’s a lot better than bats.” Marinette smiled. She must have gotten attacked by Santa Claws too. 

“Isn’t that the hat you made?” Marinette’s father asked her, looking at Santa Claus’ hat.

“Yeah…” She looked perplexed and slightly glanced his way. 

“That was a really nice gift Marinette. But Santa Claus needed it more then I did. I knew you would want him to have it.“

Marinette smiled at him. Looks like he had been right. 

“Oh, that reminds me!” Alya took out her phone. “I got the sweetest footage of Ladybug and Cat Noir in my house!” She pulled Marinette closer so she could see. “I helped them defeat Santa Claws! It was awesome! Look, here’s Ladybug using her lucky charm! Doesn’t it look amazing?” 

“Really awesome.” Marinette smiled at her friend. 

“Can I see?” Adrien asked even though he knew it would be on the ladyblog by the next day. Alya was all too happy to let him watch. Looking at it now he wondered what Ladybug had meant by things not being the way it looked. What did she think it had looked like? That they’d gotten their assess kicked? Because they had. He continued watching the video. It really was amazing how quickly she could pull her crazy plans together. “Looks like you had quite the Christmas.” He handed the phone back to Alya. 

“Only the best Christmas ever! I wonder what Ladybug and Cat Noir are doing tonight.”

Adrien smiled. He didn’t know about Ladybug, but he was having a surprisingly good Christmas Eve after all. He stared at the picture of his family. No Christmas would ever be the same but that didn’t mean they had to be horrible. 

*****  
Marinette smiled at Alya as she brainstormed what Paris’ superheroes would do for Christmas. 

“I hope they have big families!”

“They deserve all the turkey in the world!” 

Marinette giggled. They weren’t far off. She was having the best Christmas Eve ever. She never would have guessed that morning that she would get to spend it with Adrien. Marinette looked down, hiding her frown. As perfect as the evening was, she couldn’t shake her confusion over what had happened that evening. Adrien had gone missing. Cat Noir had been there by proof of his cataclysm but there hadn’t been an akuma after all. Not until she had caused it. Her cheeks were red with the shame of her false accusation of the Santa Claus look-alike. So what had Adrien been doing and why did Cat Noir need to destroy something?   
“As requested the fireplace is ready Adrien.” Nathalie walked into the room. 

Marinette watched as Adrien’s smile brightened and they all stood up to sit by the fireplace in one of the living rooms where the parents hung out off to the side to let the kids sit together. Nudged by Alya, Marinette ended up right next to Adrien and Marinette blushed and repressed a giggle when their knees touched. 

“So you weren’t kidnapped at all?” Nino asked Adrien. 

Adrien blushed. “I’m sorry I got you all worried. I had just gone for a walk to clear my head.”

“I’m just glad you’re ok bro.” Nino smiled at him. 

Here was an opportunity to ask one of the questions that was bugging her. Marinette took a slow deep breath. “Did you come across Cat Noir during your walk?” She asked without a single stutter. She smiled at her success. Her curiosity must be giving her some strength. 

Adrien shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “No, why?”

Marinette frowned. So Cat Noir hadn’t come across Adrien as she had suspected… then why the cataclysm damage? What had happened? Adrien was still waiting for her to answer his question but she was saved from coming up with an answer when Chloe pushed her out of the way to sit next to Adrien and give him a hug. 

“I got you a present Adrikens!” She handed a box to him. 

Marinette glowered at her and stood up. “Do you know where the washroom is?” She asked Alya who pointed to the hall on the right. 

“Second left.” She said with concerned eyes. She had probably picked up on her somewhat odd behaviour. 

Marinette left and walked the long empty hall until she found the washroom. 

“I’ve got a bad feeling Tikki. What was Cat Noir doing if not helping Adrien?” She spoke to her kwami once inside the isolated room. 

“He seemed ok when you met up earlier this evening.” Tikki looked up at her. 

“Remember what he had said when I asked him where he was? He said it was a secret. That’s the term I had used when I had civilian stuff going on.”

“So?”

“So I think Cat Noir might not be having the nice Christmas Eve we are. Spots on!” Marinette transformed and quickly grabbed her yo-yo and called Cat Noir. He wasn’t answering.

“Hey Cat Noir, just checking in and wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas again.” Ladybug paused, biting her lower lip. “I noticed you used your catalyst near city hall earlier today before the akuma attack. Hope you’re ok. I’ll be on that rooftop near that bakery we met up on a few times at midnight if you need to talk.”  
She hung up feeling a little lame. Cat Noir was probably fine like Tikki had said but still… something about that pile of ashes felt off.

“Spots off.” Marinette transformed back and headed back to the group. It wasn’t midnight yet. She still had time to enjoy with her friends, family and Adrien. 

*****  
“Bye! Merry Christmas!” Adrien waved to the last of the guests. His father had long ago left the party, reminding Adrien not to stay up too late. But he was wide-awake with the excitement of a good evening. Besides, he had wanted to check in on Ladybug if he could… He jogged to his room, transforming into Cat Noir the second the door closed behind him and was surprised to see that he had a missed call. 

His heart sped up as he listened to Ladybug’s concerned voice. She was worried about him? He lost no time in reaching the rooftop she had mentioned. Ladybug was there as she had said and he smiled brightly as he landed next to her. 

“A pleasure to see you again milady.” He grabbed her hand to kiss it. “No one to celebrate Christmas with or did you just miss me?” It was a sly way of getting his earlier question answered. 

Ladybug pulled her hand away. “You destroyed some post near city hall. I’m checking in with you.” She corrected.

“What were you doing out and about on Christmas Eve anyway?” Cat Noir avoided the question.

“What were you doing?” She shot back. 

They both stared at each other.

“Ok, so we both don’t want to say what we were doing.” Cat Noir finally said. 

Ladybug sighed. “We don’t have to. I just wanted to make sure you were ok and weren’t alone on Christmas…” Ladybug looked away. 

Cat Noir laughed. “ I wanted to make sure you weren’t alone on Christmas.”

Ladybug smiled at him. “I wasn’t. Big party. You?”

“Same, although it had a bit of a rough start, I’m fine now.” He smiled back. 

“Glad to hear it.” Ladybug hesitated. “I got you something.” She pulled out a green wrapped gift. 

Cat Noir could feel his heart pounding. His lady had gotten him a present? He carefully opened the wrapping to reveal a tin of cookies. “Thanks.” He smiled brightly at her. He promptly ate one. “Yum. I didn’t get you anything, how about I make it up to you and take you out for dinner.” He leaned forward smiling. 

Ladybug rolled her eyes, pushing him back. “I think I had enough food for a week. Take care Cat Noir. Merry Christmas.” She smiled and swung away. 

Cat Noir smiled as he followed her with his eyes until she disappeared and carefully wrapped her gift back up. She may have rejected his invitation but she had been worried about him and she had gotten him a gift. It was turning out to be a very good Christmas.


	12. Copy Cat

“Adrien, why don’t you and Nino get some popcorn while we grab the seats?” Alya suggested once they had bought their tickets for the movie. Approving of the idea, the boys left the girls alone. 

“Seriously girl you need to chill.” Alya whispered to Marinette. 

Marinette had been giddy ever since that morning when they had planned this movie outing. She couldn’t get the grin off her face. She did her best to compose herself now that Adrien wasn’t around making the task slightly easier. “I know I’m sorry. He just has such an effect on me.” Exhibit A; her failed voicemail the other day. Thank goodness she had managed to delete it before Adrien could hear it. 

“You won’t be paying attention to the movie at all will you?” Alya teased. “Come on, let’s go make sure we get some good seats so that Adrien sits next to you.”

“Did I mention how you’re the best wingwomen ever?”

“Only a dozen or so times.” Alya smiled. 

The two girls happily went to the cinema room and selected seats with Marinette guarding two empty seats next to her. “How are we going to make sure Adrien sits next to me and not Nino?” Marinette asked. 

“I guess it’s a 50/50 chance.” Alya said, but she had her thinking face on. Marinette did her best to calm her nerves. She was almost just as worried about him sitting next to her as she was about him not sitting next to her. 

“I can’t believe they’re just letting Cat Noir’s burglary go unpunished.” Someone behind them said to the person next to them. 

“But it hadn’t actually been Cat Noir. It was an akuma that looked like him.”

“So he says.”

“So Ladybug said too.”

Alya shot the two an annoyed look. “The two Cat Noirs were spotted at the same time in different locations as well.” She butted in. Marinette stared at her friend. As the ladyblog author, she had thoroughly investigated the whole thing. 

“See. Even more proof.” 

“Well, I still think it’s crazy that we trust these two superheroes when we don’t know anything about them.” 

“But they’ve saved Paris dozens of times!” 

Alya huffed but let the two continue their arguing. “You’d think people would show their heroes a little respect.” She mumbled under her breath. 

Marinette nodded in agreement, feeling strange about the whole conversation. It’s true that the people of Paris didn't know much about their two heroes. They barely knew much about each other. But she hadn’t believed Cat Noir was a thief. Not for a second. However, it had been tricky to figure out which of the two black cats was her Cat Noir and which one the copycat. Ladybug had been so close to removing his ring. Good thing the real Cat Noir had given her that tip. Their supposed love for each other. She wondered how the artist, Theo, had come to think that she loved Cat Noir. Marinette shuddered at the memory, flirting with the Cat Noir copycat had been so bizarre. He had looked completely transfixed and she had felt like quite the manipulator. The ploy had worked though and she had caught the copycat in his ignorance. Thank goodness he wouldn’t remember anything from the attack just like all akuma victims. What Theo had said when he was back to normal had also surprised her. About him knowing about her and Cat. That meant that whatever Cat had said to him had been before the akumatization. Was he telling a bunch of people that they were dating? Her frustration grew anew. He could be so annoying sometimes with his weird games. 

“I’m telling you Angie, they are not a couple.” Two teenage girls were walking down the aisle and picked seats right in front of Marinette. 

“Are you kidding me, of course they are!” The second teenager, Angie said as she got comfortable in her seat.

“Please. Ladybug didn’t even show up to the statue unveiling. Cat Noir is totally fair game.” The first girl said matter-of-factly, as she popped some popcorn in her mouth. 

Angie scoffed. “Please, that doesn’t prove anything. Ladybug must have just been busy. They can’t get their hands off each other every other akuma attack.”

Marinette could feel her face burn red. That was not fair! There was nothing romantic about the way they interacted. They would just crash into each other a lot while fighting is all. Marinette scoffed causing Alya to give her a questioning look. She shrugged her shoulders looking at the girls in the corner of her eye, indicating to Alya the source of her irritation. Alya laughed and shook her head.   
If this is how Parisians talked and thought then maybe Cat Noir hadn’t been the one spreading rumours. Her anger diminished. If she wanted to know she would have to ask him about it herself. Maybe next time they met up while looking over Paris. In the meantime, she had a whole two hours with Adrien to look forward too. The happy thought was enough to dissipate the rest of her anger. 

*****

Adrien waited in line with Nino to get popcorn. He couldn't believe he was finally seeing a movie with friends! Ever since Christmas, his father had been letting him out more often and it felt great. Not only did it make needing to become Cat Noir a little easier but it meant he got to do more fun things with his friends too. Nino ordered their popcorn and Adrien paid and helped by carrying one.  
Now if only Ladybug would agree to go out with him. He felt another pang of hurt at the thought of his lady. What had she meant by figuring out which of the two Cat Noir’s was really in love with her? He was the one who was actually in love with her, not the stupid copycat who didn’t even know her. His hand gripped tighter around the bag of popcorn and some fell out. It was his own fault. He had caused the akuma in the first place. Plagg was right. His own jealousy had caused him to lie about his relationship with Ladybug and make Theo jealous enough to get akumatized. The lie had helped him convince Ladybug about who the real copycat was though. Seeing her flirt with his copycat had been… disturbing. On one hand, he had been just as transfixed by her voice as the copycat had been. How couldn’t he be with the subtle seduction dripping like honey from her lips? But on the other hand, he had been incredibly jealous despite knowing Ladybug was faking the whole thing… Or perhaps because she had been faking it? He didn’t know what hypothetical secret promise she had imagined but Cat Noir desperately wanted her lie to be true. He had thought Ladybug returned at least some of his affection but maybe he was wrong. Did she really mean what she had said about him annoying her to pieces?   
Adrien tried to push the thought away as they entered the cinema room and spotted the two girls waving at them. Adrien let Nino go first and sat next to him, unable to shake his thoughts. He thought he had been really forward with Ladybug. Was the whole thing just a joke to her? Did she not take him seriously? He supposed maybe he had been a little too nonchalant with his flirting. He’d have to think of another way of showing her he was serious about his feelings. He had never actually told her he loved her. He had never told any girl that before and was a little nervous about the idea. But Valentine’s day was coming up… maybe he could do something then… Pluck up the courage and just tell her. Or maybe get her a gift or write her a letter… Anything so that she would know that he really loved her. 

*****

Marinette kept glancing at Adrien through the corner of her eye. They were awkwardly sitting in silence as they waited for the movie to start. Then again if Adrien had sat next to her instead of Nino would she have said anything then? Perhaps this was a good thing and they could have a group discussion instead. Those usually went better. 

“So Nino, what made you pick this movie?” Marinette asked her friend. 

“I picked it actually.” Adrien cut in, putting his hand around Nino’s shoulder. “ I hear it’s one of the best this month.”

Marinette grinned stupidly at him. Yup. Still incapable of talking to him. Even if she had thought of anything to say it would have gone to waste since Adrien’s phone went off. 

“Oops. Guess I forgot to turn it off.” Adrien blushed and avoided the death glares of the people around him by looking at his screen to see who was calling him. His face fell as he answered the phone. “Hello Father.” He said worriedly. Marinette’s heart clenched at what was no doubt to come. 

“Where are you? Why aren’t you home?” His father’s angry voice was loud enough for Marinette to hear. 

“I'm at the movies with some friends.” 

“You have 10 minutes to get home. Your bodyguard is on his way to pick you up at once.”

“But-“

“Are you arguing with me? Have you forgotten about the spring catalogue?” 

Adrien’s face went a deeper shade of red. “I’ll be right there. Sorry father.” The line went dead. “Sorry. I have to go.” Adrien put his phone away dejectedly. Marinette’s heart sank, not only because there went their time together but also because of how disappointed Adrien looked. 

“Bummer dude.”

“You guys have fun.” He got up, handed Nino the popcorn bag and left, looking morose. 

“His dad has been working him non stop.” Nino said angrily. “This was supposed to help him relax!” He was shushed by the people behind him as the movie started. 

Marinette couldn’t have agreed with him more. Poor Adrien. She shared a disappointed look with Alya. The movie was good but Marinette barely paid attention to it. She had been looking forward to this outing with Adrien all day. When the movie had finished, Alya suggested they go out for something to eat but Marinette wasn’t really in the mood. She gave an excuse about being behind on her homework and went home. She did earnestly try to catch up on her math homework but kept thinking about Adrien’s sad face and about what Cat Noir may or may not have been telling people. She considered going looking for him but she wasn’t sure how to bring it up without sounding too accusatory. If it came up again then she would say something, she decided. Pushing her boy troubles out of her mind, she switched to her French homework hoping it would offer a better chance at preventing her mind to wander again.


	13. Dark Cupid

She kissed Cat Noir. She _kissed_ Cat Noir. She kissed _Cat Noir_! And it had been her first kiss too! Marinette groaned into her pillow once again. What a disaster of a day.

And it had started out so well what with discovering Adrien might have a crush on her too and her having the confidence to tell him how she felt… only then she forgot to sign the card and ended up kissing Cat Noir! Another groan escaped into her pillow.

“Cheer up Marinette.” Tikki encouraged near her ear. “It’s not like you only have one chance to tell Adrien how you feel.”

“He probably wasn’t even talking about me in that poem. And now he thinks that whoever he likes, likes him back and he doesn’t know it’s from me!”

“Unless the note was intended for you and he’ll know it’s from you Marinette.” Tikki rebuked happily. “He knows it can’t be from just anybody since he threw it in the classroom trash.”

Marinette gasped. “No no no no. You’re right Tikki. He’ll figure out it’s from someone in class and I’m the only one with blue eyes and dark hair!”

“Weren’t you glad he was going to know how you felt?”

“But now he’ll know I went through his trash.” Marinette went back to groaning in the pillow. How could she have been so stupid!

“You can find out tomorrow.” Tikki said encouragingly. She was not waiting around for tomorrow though. She had too much pent-up frustration from her first kiss being ruined and now this anxiousness about how Adrien would respond to her letter, even though unsigned.

“Come on Tikki. Let’s go see how the city is faring this evening. Spots on!” And in moments, she was out her trapdoor and swinging away from her thoughts.

*****

Adrien was so sickening when he got all lovey-dovey over Ladybug, Plagg thought as he ate another piece of cheese. Cheese didn’t need to love you back. That’s what Adrien hadn’t understood about how much better it was to love cheese. The boy could use the extra pounds anyway. But alas, the boy was obsessed with Ladybug and not the clearly superior gooeyness.

“You don’t know the letter actually came from Ladybug.” He complained when the boy still wouldn’t shut up about it. “So a ladybug lands on the letter, it’s not like the real Ladybug can control the pests just like you can’t control cats.”

“But it could be Plagg. It’s a reply to my poem to her.”

“The poem you threw in your school trash you mean. You never even told Ladybug how you felt. How would she have found out?” Plagg watched Adrien’s face deflate. Ok, so maybe he was being too hard on the boy. The kid almost never smiled and here he had been on cloud nine. Still, best to come back down to earth.

“You’re probably right.” Adrien said dejectedly. “And what was that whole thing she mentioned about being sorry about a kiss? Do you think she kissed someone while I was out of it because of Dark cupid’s curse?” He looked even more crushed. Plagg had wondered when he would bring that up. He had started wondering about it earlier but then had overheard two people talking about what they had overheard Cat Noir saying to Ladybug. Adrien had been horrified. His face had been priceless and Plagg couldn’t help how he had laughed when they had been in the privacy of the kid’s room. Maybe he was being a tad bit insensitive but come on. The boy was just about to confess his love and then he goes and tells her he loathes and hates her instead. It didn’t get anymore dramatic than that. Still, he should probably throw the kid a bone.

“She said it was only to break a curse.”

“I guess.” The kid went back to mopping on his bed but at least he was keeping quiet now.

Plagg went over to the pile of gifts and letters again and opened the largest package. “Ugh. Chocolates. You people really don’t know the first thing about how to express love.” He threw the box at Adrien.

“Hey!” Adrien protested, sitting up. “Would you quit going through my mail.”

“Ouh look, here’s one from Chloe or should I say, the almost Ladybug.” Plagg teased. It was worth it to see Adrien groan again.

“That’s enough. Claws out!”

Plagg’s eyes went wide as his body was pulled towards the ring. He really needed to learn when not to push the kid too far.

 *****

Finally a moment to think for himself. Adrien was relieved to hear silence as he hopped out his open window and jumped to the nearest roof. This is what he needed. A break from thinking about all the horrid stuff he had told Ladybug and his failure to tell her how he felt. He ran across various rooftops, making his way to the Eiffel tower. There was a number of couples taking walks around the scenic areas. He climbed to the very top and scanned the streets. No evil-doers in sight, just couples no doubt making up for whatever part of their plans Dark Cupid’s curse may have ruined. Ladybug’s lucky charm may have turned everyone back to normal but it wouldn’t heal all the damage from the horrible memory. Did Ladybug believe he had meant all that stuff he had said? In the distance he saw a red dot swinging around some buildings. Cat Noir gasped and immediately went to her. There was time yet to set things right apparently.

“Milady.” He smiled to her as he caught up and matched her swing. He gave her quite a jump because she nearly tripped on her landing on the next rooftop. He held out his hand for her to grab onto and steady herself.

“Cat Noir you scared me. Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. She looked really angry. Could it be she was actually angry at him for earlier?

“I need to clear the air about something.” He explained. “I heard about some of the things I told you when I was under that curse.” To his surprise Ladybug gave a small laugh.

“Don’t worry about that kitty. My best friend also said some mean stuff to me but I know she didn’t mean any of it. The curse made everyone’s hearts dark and void of love.” She brushed the whole thing off but still seemed to avoid his eye. 

OK so if that wasn't what she was angry about... maybe he could tell her how he felt.   
  
“I admit I was worried for a second when you nearly used your cataclysm on me though. Do you know what using it on a person does?”

“What!” Cat Noir was in shock. He had nearly cataclysmed her? He facepalmed himself. Great. Just great. No wonder she was angry with him! What would have happened? Would it have damaged her miraculous? Or worse, would it have killed her? In either case, they would have been screwed. He couldn’t stop akumas without her.  


“You don't remember?” Ladybug smiled at him and gave one of her adorable small laughs. How could she suddenly be so relaxed about all this? “It’s alright Kitty. I’m grateful you took the arrow for me. That’s twice now you’ve sacrificed yourself for me. Thank you.” She said softly, giving him a peck on his cheek. Cat Noir’s heart stopped beating. He was sure of it. Her lips had felt so soft and warm on his cheek. He carefully brought his hand up, hovering just over where she had kissed him. His heart made up for the missed beat by going double time. He looked around but Ladybug had already disappeared. He hadn’t told her how he felt. But maybe she was falling for him anyway. And so maybe for now, that was enough.

*****

Ladybug jumped away surprised with herself. She had just kissed Cat Noir on the cheek. What was wrong with her today? She landed in an alleyway not far from her house and detransformed. Tikki smiled brightly at her.   
  
"It didn't mean anything Tikki." It really didn't. She had been relieved that he hadn't remembered the kiss nor seemed to have heard about it. It lifted her spirits to know that he wouldn't tease her about it. And then he had just looked so vulnerable when she had brought up how he had nearly hurt her... She shouldn't have said anything. And she shouldn't have laughed at his anguish, even if she had really been laughing out of relief. She had just kissed his cheek to make up for laughing and assuring him that they were good. Nothing more. Maybe the kiss had affected her more than she had thought. She never would have kissed Cat Noir on the cheek before. But after kissing him on the mouth, a kiss on the cheek didn't feel nearly as intimate. Marinette groaned and started running home. So much for her evening stroll helping her clear her head. The memory of the kiss came back in full force. Her heart had been beating fast due to the fight and she had been so fearful of the unfriendly look he had given her when he was about to take her miraculous. She had pulled him down to her without giving him a chance to pull away. His lips had been initially hard and unmoving due to his shock but had quickly loosened and gone soft as the curse was broken. They had somehow felt warmer as she felt his whole body relax. And then their lips hadn't just been touching. They had been moving. Just a little. But the way his lips had felt... she had instinctively responded to their softness and the way they seemed to melt into her own. And then she remembered who she was kissing and had pulled away, surprised at her own reaction. She had immediately pushed her unease aside to finish the job. Marinette stopped running. She had passed her house a while back and was now walking back towards it. Maybe she had just needed to let herself think through it. She had kissed him to save him. She had not hated it. She suddenly felt guilty that she had enjoyed it when she was in love with a completely different boy. She had wanted her first kiss to be meaningful. She had been ok with her first kiss being to save her partner. It was just a means to an end. It wouldn't count as a real kiss. Only then she had enjoyed it.  And suddenly it felt like a big deal. Maybe it wasn't Cat Noir. Maybe it was just the kiss. Kissing was enjoyable after all right? Otherwise, people wouldn't do it. She didn't _like_ Cat Noir. Not that way anyway. She just liked kissing him. She had nothing to compare it to after all. Maybe that was what regular kisses felt like and it would be even better when it would be with someone she loved. Maybe her first real kiss could mean something after all. Feeling more at ease, Marinette entered her house and went to her room feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She faced Cat Noir just fine. Now she just had to face Adrien the next day.   
  
*****

Whatever courage Marinette had felt the previous day was gone as Marinette walked into the school, staying close to the walls and checking every corner to her locker. She managed to get there without running into Adrien which was good. 

"Did you get my valentine card Adrikins?" Chloe's annoying voice echoed from around the corner. In a panic, Marinette shoved herself into her locker and closed the door.   
  
"Uh yeah. I think so. There's a pile I need to sort through." Adrien replied uncomfortably just outside the locker.   
  
A pile? Of course, he would get tons of cards. Maybe he hadn't even seen hers yet!  
  
"My card is in the same pile as a bunch of loser fans?" Chloe said outraged. 

"Well seeing as how it was left in the same mailbox..."  
  
"Sabrina can't do anything right. But mine's the best right?"  
  
"I haven't gone through them all yet." Adrien said evasively.   
  
"But of course mine will be the best because you actually know me."

Adrien didn't reply and Marinette panicked at the silence. He had gotten her letter, he knew it was from her, he knew it and now she could never show her face again because he hadn't actually meant her in the first poem. Her life was ruined. She could hear Adrien shuffling things around in his locker. Well they would grab their things and she would go home faking illness.   
  
"Adrien?" Chloe was getting impatient and for once Marinette was grateful for her nosiness. 

"Yours is special because it's the only one from a friend." Adrien eventually said, closing his locker. 

"Exactly!" Chloe sounded triumphant despite the obvious friendzoning. Marinette didn't care about that though. A mix of relief and disappointment was coursing through her body, replacing the tension that had been there. He hadn't gotten her letter yet or if he had he didn't realize it was from her. She was no longer panicked but dejected. She would never pluck up the courage to tell him how she felt, would she? 

"I think they're gone Marinette." Tikki whispered. Right. She was still standing in her locker. Best to sneak out now before anyone would see her inexplicably exiting her own locker. She pushed against the door slightly, making sure the coast was clear. Seeing no one, she quietly stepped out and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Maybe next Valentine's day would be better. 

 


	14. Horrificator

“Ugh Nino is a great friend and all but he is one tough director! That is the last time I write a movie for him!” Obviously Alya was still angry about the script changes only to then disregard the whole thing for his footage of the akuma attack. And of course, in the end, the movie hadn’t even gotten accepted. Nino had taken his anger at the rejection and put it into what he could do for next year’s contest and his first order of business was to ask Alya to write another script. She had shut that idea down but obviously was still bitter about the whole thing. 

“Well he is still new at it. We all struggled in our own way. Well except for Adrien of course” Marinette defended. Alya turned her angry eyes at her. “And you of course, your script was off the chain.” Marinette smiled. 

“You know, I was almost ok with it when it meant you could kiss Adrien.”

Marinette laughed. She knew how much Alya had looked forward to it but she didn’t want her first kiss with Adrien to be because he was forced to. She didn’t want to just give kisses away either without them meaning anything. Unlike a certain Cat. She couldn’t believe he had puckered his lips and expected a kiss when they had been making a plan. That Cat sure did get on her nerves sometimes. You’d think he’d figure out how old that joke had gotten. It made her question whether or not he had been enlightened about their kiss when he had been under dark cupid’s curse. She pushed that uncomfortable thought away. 

“I’m just glad he didn’t end up kissing Chloe.” Marinette smiled. Anyone but Chloe. 

“Ugh that girl is the worst. I bet the real reason Nino’s movie didn’t get in the festival was because she went and cried to her dad.” Marinette suspected she was right. “In any case, I think Adrien was also relieved that he didn't have to kiss Chloe. You should have seen him right before you barged in.” Alya laughed. 

“Really?” Marinette chuckled. 

“Nino probably still has the footage. Oh that reminds me!” Alya pulled out her phone. “I swiped this from his computer when he wasn’t looking.” Alya showed her the screen. It was a picture from the film of her and Adrien’s near kiss right before the interruption, they’re faces close together. 

Marinette started giggling. Ok maybe part of her had wanted that kiss. At least she could relish in the moments that had led up to it. How he had reassured her she’d do a good job by touching her shoulder and then pulled her closer before the scene. When it had come time for the kiss, he had taken a small step closer and pulled her closer by her waist. His hands had help stabilize her, which was good because she may have fainted right there and then. She had rested her hands on his chest, surprised at how strong his muscles felt. She could feel his minty breath on her face as they had inched closer and could practically feel the heat radiating off his skin…

Alya’s laugh brought her out of her reverie. “Daydreaming are we?” She giggled. 

Marinette blushed. The near-kiss had put her previous kiss with Cat Noir in perspective. She hadn’t even kissed Adrien and yet that had been filled with far more electricity and emotion than what she had felt when she had kissed Cat Noir. Cat Noir’s kiss had been nice. It had been warm and soft and nice. But the almost kiss with Adrien had made her feel alive. Every part of her had been aware of every part of him. She could only imagine what it would have felt like had their lips met. But if or when they did kiss, it would mean something. It wouldn’t be as a favour to a friend. But in the meantime…

“Could I get a copy of that?” She asked, her cheeks red. 

Alya laughed. “Already in your inbox.”

Marinette smiled. In the meantime, she had a treasured memory and hint of what it might be like. 

*****

“Can you believe you almost had to kiss Chloe!” Plagg laughed. Adrien rolled his eyes. Plagg had enjoyed making fun of the production. 

“Come on Plagg. It wouldn’t have been that bad. Nino’s been a good friend, I owed him as much.”

“Sure, but that didn’t stop you being relieved at not needing to kiss anyone in the end.” 

It was true. He wanted his first kiss and all his kisses to be with Ladybug. But acting was different and he would have done it to help out his friends. Still, Chloe had enjoyed the prospect a little too much and he was happy when Alya had suggested Marinette take on the role. He smiled anew at the memory of her horror-struck face. It had been adorable. Admittedly, he was a little wounded at how badly she had not wanted to kiss him but it seemed she had been more camera shy than anything else. It had made the whole thing a lot more comfortable for himself. She hadn’t been that bad of an actress either. A little weak on her delivery, but considering she had been forced into the situation just minutes before, she did a phenomenal job. It felt like they would finally get to wrap up the movie when Chloe had interrupted. He had been so annoyed. Couldn’t they just finish the scene already? 

In the end, Nino’s movie montage of the akuma attack was way better though. Nino had given him a copy or the raw footage since he had ‘missed it’. He had shown it to Plagg that evening. He found that he looked pretty good as Cat Noir on camera. His muscles looked good in the suit. So did his lady. Shame that she hadn’t kissed him. Not that he had really expected her to but you can’t blame a cat for trying. Ever since Valentine’s Day, he wondered if she was starting to return her feelings. But of course, she was all business during an akuma attack. 

“One day she’ll love me and then we can share all the kisses we like.” He said confidently. 

“Oh brother.” Plagg complained, face planting on Adrien’s desk.


	15. Darkblade

“This is an outrage!” Chloe ranted at lunch so that anyone in a 50-yard radius could hear. “I deserve to be class rep!”

“Chloe, you didn’t even have a platform.” Adrien sighed. 

“You voted for me though right Adrikins.” Her voice quickly went from anger to sweet. 

“I voted for the candidate I knew would best help our class.” He replied sternly. 

“I knew you did.” She smiled and grabbed his arm. “I bet Sabrina voted for Mari-not.” She laughed at her own clever play on words. “I feel so betrayed!” She sobbed in a shockingly quick mood change. 

Adrien gently retracted his arm. “Marinette,” He clearly spoke her name, “deserved to be class rep. Just look at how she handled the akuma situation.” From what he heard from their classmates, she had taken charge and kept everyone safe that much longer. She had been the last to leave and thus had fallen to the akuma and become one of the knights. Adrien wondered briefly if she had been one of the ones he had fought off. Ladybug sure had taken her time showing up to help. But with his fencing lessons, fending off the knights had been kind of fun. 

“Pu-lease. Did you see her evil contraption that locked up Sabrina’s hand!” Chloe was still ranting. “So untrusting!”

Adrien refrained from mentioning how that lack of trust wasn’t unwarranted seeing as how Chloe had tried to steal it. 

“What secrets could a basic like her be hiding anyway?” Chloe closed her eyes and flipped her hair indignantly, nearly hitting Adrien in the face. “It probably just contained baking recipes.” She laughed again as if what she said had somehow been a joke. 

“Chloe.” Adrien said, exasperated. His patience was starting to wane. 

“Well it doesn’t matter anyway. Being class rep is so boring. I’ve been doing it for years. About time someone else stepped up. I can’t be expected to do everything!” 

Adrien sighed. At least now she would stop talking about it. 

“Hey dude, we’re allowed music in the library now, as long as we use headphones and keep the volume down. Marinette works fast!” Nino smiled, coming over. 

“That’s awesome. I knew she would keep her promises.” Adrien smiled. Chloe huffed and gave some excuse to leave. “Thanks for the rescue.” Adrien said to Nino in a low voice. 

“I don’t know why you stay friends with her.” Nino shook his head. 

Adrien let the comment drop. Sometimes he wondered the same thing but he had known Chloe for a long time and she had been his only friend for years. Deep down, perhaps really deep down, she was a good person.

“Come on, I have some time before my piano lesson. Let’s play some basketball.” Adrien put his arm around Nino. 

*****

“I guess you were right Tikki. My diary is a bit more dangerous than I thought.” Marinette said as she ensured it was well protected before hiding it in her dresser. 

“Maybe I really shouldn’t write about Ladybug stuff. It’s just so much sometimes. It helps to write down my thoughts.” She looked down sadly. 

Tikki flew to Marinette's nose and bopped her head up. “You always have me to talk to.”

“Thanks Tikki. You were really helpful yesterday.” 

“I knew you could trust your instincts. You managed to both help your classmates and take care of the akuma all while keeping your secret. You’re a really great Ladybug.”

Marinette blushed. “Thanks Tikki.” The kwami hugged her left cheek. 

She was still surprised that she had managed to balance everything. It was a good thing that Cat Noir was such a good fencer. He managed to hold his own for quite a while before she could join him. It had been painful to sit by the window watching him fight without her. She had felt guilty for not being able to sneak away and transform into Ladybug sooner. Thankfully he was more than capable as always. Still, it didn’t seem fair that he had to do most of the work. 

“What are you thinking about now?” Tikki asked attentively. 

“Ladybug stuff.”

“You’re not doubting your decision are you?”

Marinette considered it. She hadn’t gotten to help Cat Noir right away but she did get to help her classmates and dethrone Chloe. The students would be properly represented now. And Adrien had seemed happy for her. She smiled at the memory of him cheering along with the others. “No, it was the right call.” Tikki smiled at her approvingly. 

Now she just had to keep juggling her increasingly busy life and double life.


	16. The mime

“You are one hundred percent forgiven! How on earth did you manage to set that one up?” Alya was still ecstatic over her interview with Ladybug. 

Marinette smiled, ignoring the question as Alya was still busy texting everyone to go watch it. It was awesome to see how happy she had made her best friend. She should have just told her the truth right away. It would have saved her quite a lot of trouble. She really should listen to Tikki more often. The old wise kwami knew a thing or two about life after all. 

That hadn’t been the only trouble though. The latest akuma attack had been quite something. The mime could create any invisible device he wanted and it had been hard to keep track. Not only that but she had nearly gotten Adrien hit by an arrow. She was getting a lot better around him. She had been able to talk in front of him for Nino’s film last week after all and hadn’t passed out from him touching her but he still had a way of sneaking up on her sometimes and causing her wires to just go ballistic. When she had told him to take cover she hadn’t realized who she was talking to. Once she did, her thoughts went blank. He really did have the dreamiest of eyes. It had taken an invisible arrow to wake her up and remind her that she was a little too busy to be staring at Adrien. Not only that but because of her moment of weakness, he hadn’t been able to get out of the car right away and had almost gotten hit by an arrow himself. She had been such an idiot. She really needed to get a grip. Who knew when that could happen again?

“Earth to Marinette.” Alya waved in front of her. 

“Sorry I was just-“

“Daydreaming about Adrien.” She finished teasing. Marinette laughed. She wasn’t exactly wrong. “Anyway, didn’t you hear what I said? Ladybug likes the same ice cream you do!” 

She had actually lied about a lot of those personal preferences questions. She didn’t want Alya to have any more clues but she had been truthful about that one. 

“I’m thinking I best try it for myself. You in? My treat.” Alya asked, heading towards an ice cream shop. 

Well how could Marinette refuse that? Despite her errors that day, she still had her best friend. 

*****

“Ugh, why did you have to go sit in the back when your dad had paid for front row seats?” Plagg complained once they had got home from the theatre. 

“I wanted to sit with my friends. It was a lot more fun than sitting on my own.” Adrien replied, sitting at his computer. 

“More fun for you maybe. I barely saw a thing.” Plagg looked away indignantly. 

“It’s not like you could have enjoyed it from the front row either.” Plagg would have still needed to stay hidden. 

The kwami huffed, which meant he knew Adrien was right. “Woah look at this.” Adrien said, scrolling through the ladyblog. “Ladybug did an interview for Alya. That must have been her plans.”

“Only Alya was also at the movies.” Plagg found the hole in his theory.   
Rats. She had worried him about her so-called plans. Was Ladybug seeing someone? He had never asked her and she probably wouldn’t tell him. She was dead set against them telling each other anything about their personal lives. He had finally had a few seconds to ask her out and she had said no. Only it hadn’t been a no at first. It had been a ‘thanks but I’m busy’ accompanied by her touching his hand. It had at first made him feel quite hopeful but once he started thinking about it, he got suspicious about her plans. He was now certain she was seeing someone else. And so it was a no. Just a gentle no. He was heartbroken and to torture himself further he watched her interview. 

Adrien sighed as he watched his lady kindly answer all of Alya’s question, from how she got her powers (which she gracefully declined answering) to her favourite ice cream (mental note: mint). It was so kind of her to do this for Alya, a girl she barely knew but recognized as a die-hard fan. But that was Ladybug. Perfect. 

“So tell me. Is it true that you and Cat Noir are an item?” Alya asked. 

Adrien's back snapped upright only to deflate at Ladybug's laugh. Of course she would laugh off the idea. 

“I’m not sure how that rumor started but no. Cat Noir is a great partner- I mean teammate. He thinks he’s funnier than he really is but he always has my back and I couldn’t do this without him.” 

“So is there a different special someone in your life?” Alya asked. 

Ladybug blushed. “Not in the way you mean. Do you mind if we talk about something else?”

“Did you hear that Plagg!” Adrien got up, smiling. “I was wrong, she is single! And did you hear what she said about me?”

“About you not being as funny as you think you are?”

“No.” Adrien answered, irritated. “She can’t imagine fighting without me by her side.” He crossed his arms proudly. “Figures, I do almost all the work anyways.” Plagg gave him a deadpan stare. Adrien rolled his eyes “Come on, I was only kidding.”

“Ladybug is right. You aren’t as funny as you think you are.”

Adrien ignored Plagg and continued watching the interview. 

“You realize she probably likes somebody else though right?” Plagg interrupted when he got bored again. 

“What do you mean?” Adrien blinked at him. 

“Not the way you mean.” the kwami quoted. “What do you suppose that means?”

Adrien hadn’t considered that. Maybe Ladybug was in love with someone, maybe she wasn’t. Either way, there was still a chance that she could fall in love with him.


	17. Kung Food

Marinette actually had a conversation with Adrien. With full words. And sentences. She was definitely getting better around him. Despite all her improvements, nothing would have prepared her for what awaited her that evening though. As a reward for winning the contest, Marinette’s uncle had been invited to dine at the Grand Paris and he had invited both herself and Adrien as a thank you for their help. And that is how she found herself face to face with her perfect Adrien enjoying Wang Cheng’s Celestial soup, now named in her honour. Marinette smiled at the great compliment. Adrien had been right. Her uncle did like her. 

“Thanks for coming to our defence earlier in the kitchen in front of Chloe.” She said in between two spoons of soup. It really was the best she had ever tasted. And now she knew how to make it! 

“Oh that. It was nothing.” Adrien replied, rubbing his neck in that adorable way he often did. 

“I was a little surprised. I thought you two were friends.”

“We are.” Adrien answered slowly, not quite looking her in the eye. “I’ve known her for a long time. She didn’t use to be so…” 

“Chloéesque?” She offered. 

“Right.” Adrien smiled. 

“I find that hard to believe. I’ve known her since kindergarten and she seems like the same old Chloe to me.”

“Hmm. Brat kid knows not respect.” Cheng Shifu chimed in. 

Marinette and Adrien laughed. 

“I guess I’m used to another side of her.” Adrien replied. 

“Gee I wonder why.” Marinette murmured sarcastically. 

“What was that?” Adrien asked. 

“Oh nothing.” She smiled at him. She was over talking about Chloe anyways. She was practically on a date with Adrien! And they were conversing! “So why the interest in learning Chinese?” Even she hadn’t bothered and half her extended family still lived in China. 

“My dad has a lot of business partners in China and since he plans for me to take over the family business…” Adrien explained. Marinette’s jaw dropped a little. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t share my dad’s designer eye but I can always hire someone to do that part.” He added, winking at her. 

She giggled in response. Way to keep it cool. 

“Marinette great designer! I seen work.” Her uncle smiled at her. 

“I know, I’ve seen her work too.” Adrien agreed. “Your niece is incredibly talented. Maybe she’ll end up working with me.”

Marinette could feel her face becoming red. “Who me? What? Noooo. Really?” And there it was. All cool officially gone. 

Adrien’s phone rang and he leaned further away to pick it up. “Yes sorry Father, I’m on my way.” He said after a beat. Marinette’s heart shank. They were having such a nice time. “Sorry I have to go. Thank you again for inviting me Cheng Shifu. I’ll see you tomorrow Marinette.” He waved goodbye and jogged out of the hotel. Marinette smiled at his retreating figure. 

“Nice boyfriend. Good choice.” Cheng Shifu smiled at her. 

“Oh. Adrien’s not…. We’re not…. I mean. He’s not my boyfriend.” She blushed furiously. 

Her uncle laughed. “Maybe other day.” 

She hoped so. She couldn’t wait to tell Alya all about her day! She definitely owed her friend big time. Or maybe this was Alya thanking her for getting that interview with Ladybug a week ago. Maybe she should let Alya interview her more often. 

*****

“Such waste. Such a blatant lack of respect for my gooeness!” Plagg ranted about Kung Food’s use of cheese as a weapon for one of his minions. 

Adrien rolled his eyes. Of course his kwami would focus on that little detail. Adrien was far more interested in how Ladybug had flirted with him. At least he thinks she did. She had asked him out to eat… as a metaphor for fighting the akuma victim but still. But in the elevator, she had gone back to her exasperated self and had thrown him a ‘You wish.’ She had no idea just how much he wished. 

“I bet Tikki would understand how I feel. Desert being used for evil. Bah!” Plagg was still ranting. What on earth was a Tikki? 

Adrien ignored him. He hadn’t got his dinner date with Ladybug but at least he had got to get to know Marinette and her uncle better. It had been great to put his Chinese to practical use and Marinette had been a lot friendlier to him than in the past. Maybe the fact that he defending her against Chloe finally sealed any ill will that had been between them. He was happy to have a friend like her. 

“It is an ABOMINATION!“ Obviously, there was only one thing that would stop Plagg’s verbal rampage. 

“Come on Plagg. Let’s get you some cheese.” 

Plagg’s eyes lit up. “It’s about time.” He smiled, leading the way.

Adrien rolled his eyes. His kwami had a one track mind.


	18. The gamer

“Did you see how Marinette and Max CRUSHED the competition!” Nino ended his play by play. 

Adrien laughed. He hadn’t needed the recap. He hadn’t even needed to watch to know that Marinette and Max would win. Although having watched them play, he knew that Marinette had toned down her skills so Max would do more. That girl was so kind. No doubt the result of her nice parents. Something Marinette clearly took for granted but he knew she loved them. It had been obvious in every part of the house. 

“I had no idea Marinette knew how to play like that!” Nino continued. 

If Adrien didn’t know any better, he would guess his friend was developing a bit of a crush. “She plays with her dad a lot. She beat me every time we played. Pretty nice of her to give her spot to Max uh?” He asked.

“That’s Marinette!” Nino smiled. 

As if summoned, the girl in question and Alya were walking towards them. 

“Does my girl represent or what!” Alya was beaming with pride. 

“Uhh. Yeah. Awesome.” Nino said awkwardly. Adrien eyed him speculatively. His friend was blushing. He had been right. 

“Well I never could have played so well if it hadn’t been for all that practice.” Marinette said with modesty. Amazing as always, nothing like himself. She seemed to do everything better than him. When he had said as much about her gaming skills she had been so kind and shared her lucky charm with him. Maybe it did work. He had played a lot better than usual during his fight with the Gamer. He even managed to impress Ladybug with his skills… eventually. How amazing that his perfect lady would also enjoy his favourite game. She really was the girl of his dreams. 

“It has been a pleasure working with a worthy adversary.” Max joined their group.

“Adversary? You were on the same team!” Alya's eyebrows shot up. 

“But now I finally have a worthy opponent to beat next year.” He smiled. “It has been a number of years before someone has bested me. It will no doubt help me become even more formidable in the future.” He smiled at her.

“You’re on.” Marinette smirked back. “See you at the sequel, LB mega strikes back.” 

Adrian laughed, no one else did. Oh come on. That had been funny. People exchanged their goodbyes and Nino and Adrien continued on their way. 

“Soooo. You have a thing for Marinette uh?” Adrien asked him. 

“What? I - No… Maybe. How did you know?” Nino looked away, his cheeks showing a hint of pink. 

“I’ve got a sense for these things.” Adrien smiled confidently. 

“Do you think she likes me back?”

That he didn't know. Girls were so much harder to read. “If she doesn’t yet, she will. You’re both cool, it’s a great match.” He said with confidence. “We just need to get her to fall in love with you.”

“And how do we do that?” Nino asked, eyes wide. 

“Trust me. I know a thing or two about how to treat a lady.” He said, placing a hand on Nino's shoulder. First Nino and Marinette and then him and Ladybug. 

*****

“So when will we see that nice Adrien boy around here again?” Marinette’s mom asked at dinner. 

Marinette blushed. Her parents had been so embarrassing when Adrien had been over. 

“He seems nice.” Her mom smiled knowingly at her dad. Great. 

“Uhhh. That was just for the tournament.” Marinette explained. Although she hoped he would spend more time with her. Her parents looked surprised. 

“Really? Because we had thought…”

“Nope. Nothing going on there.” Unfortunately. 

“Shame. He had good taste.” Her dad had glowed when Adrien had complimented his baking and then his daughter’s mad skills when he dropped by after the akuma attack to make sure Marinette was ok. Apparently Cat Noir had told him he had left her on the roof and had asked him to make sure she had gotten down ok since she hadn’t been there when he went to help her down. Oops. 

“Well I should catch up on homework. Thanks for dinner!” Marinette escaped to her room. She loved her parents but they were a bit overbearing. She paused at the sight of the blank walls. Right, she had taken down all her Adrien pictures. She still couldn’t believe that Adrien had been in her room! Although it had felt awkward at first, they eventually got to talking and she got to know his modest side some more. How could he not see how amazing he was? Marinette started putting the pictures back up. It was a shame their time together had been interrupted by the akuma attack. It had felt like a date when it had just been them at the park without her parent’s popping in all the time. Maybe one of these days it would be an official date. The thought brought a smile to her face and she started to hum as she hung up the last of the pictures. Much better. 

"Someone's in a good mood." Tikki pointed out. 

"What can I say, it's been a great weekend." Marinette stood back to admire her no longer bare wall, her hand resting on her hip feeling where her lucky charm usually was. She had been so used to having it there that it felt weird not to have it anymore. Maybe it had been silly to give it to Adrien but he seemed to have appreciated it. During the akuma attack, she had wished she still had it. In the end, she hadn't needed it, she and Cat Noir had managed to defeat the akuma. Who would have thought that all those hours of video gaming would come to good use!   
She giggled at the thought of Cat Noir playing the video game. He was obviously a fan given his reaction to her referencing the game. Somehow she couldn't match his tough-guy image with a kid playing video games. Maybe he had been at the tournament. The thought made her giggle again.   
Marinette shook her head. She did have actual homework to do. Settling down at her computer, she opened the document for her most recent school project. She smiled at the empty space next to her. Adrien had been right there! And their hands had touched and he had complimented her, right in that chair. 

Tikki smiled at her knowingly. "A good weekend indeed."


	19. Animan

“Hold up. I’m confused.” Adrien rubbed his forehead as Nino was telling him about how he was dating Alya now. “Last I checked you were about to tell Marinette you loved her.” Well, sort of. 

Nino rubbed his neck in embarrassment. “Yeah but when the zoo animals went crazy, Ladybug trapped both Alya and me in a cage.” Adrien’s eyes went wide. “A zookeeper eventually let us out but it gave us a lot of time together.”

“But what about Marinette?”

“Oh, we’re cool. I explained everything to her and turns out she likes someone else anyways.” 

“Really who?” Adrien asked, curious. 

“Ah. I promised I wouldn’t say. Alya would kill me.”

Adrien decided to let it go. It wasn't any of his business after all. “So you and Alya. How did you manage that?”

“Well we were making small talk and out of the blue Alya tells me that Marinette shouldn’t have told me what she did and that she didn’t like me that way.”

Adrien blinked. “Ooook... but how did she-”

“Turns out Alya was coaching Marinette like you were coaching me. She had heard the whole thing! So obviously I came clean to her and explained everything. We both laughed and then Alya told me about Marinette’s crush.”

Adrien was at a loss for how this story could possibly end up with Nino and Alya dating. So far it sounds as though he had been rejected. Twice. 

“Yeah, I was a little bummed.” Nino admitted. He must have seen the sympathy on Adrien’s face. “But then we got to talking about other stuff and… well, I never realized before how cool she was and…” Nino smiled sheepishly. “She must have felt the same because then we kissed.” 

Adrien laughed. “Well, I’m glad everything worked out in the end.”   
He was glad he could say the same for his day. It had seemed a little bleak for a second back there when he had thought Ladybug had been eaten by that T-rex. Logically there was no way for him to capture the akuma and get her back but that hadn’t stopped him from fighting. He would have killed the akuma if he had to. He didn't even know if that was possible. The relief he had felt when Ladybug had emerged from the T-rex’s mouth… He couldn’t help himself, he had hugged her. She was safe, alive and warm in his arms and she was letting him hug her. She had giggled and he had composed himself, realizing he was probably coming on a little too strongly. He would have wanted to talk more but he had only a minute left before he would transform back, as always. Maybe they should get trapped in a cage together. It had obviously worked for Nino.

“Wait. If Marinette likes someone else why did she need Alya to coach her?” Adrien asked, thinking back on what Nino had said.

Nino darted to the side, panicked. “Uh. Well, the guy she likes was supposed to come to the zoo too only the guy never showed.” 

Adrien huffed. “What a jerk. Obviously Marinette is too good for this guy.”

Nino laughed. “Nah. I think he might just be a little too clueless.” He laughed again. “I should get going, Alya and I are going to go catch a movie.”

Adrien chuckled. “Go ahead man.” 

“Thanks bro. Catch you later.” He jogged away. 

“Well that’s an interesting twist.” Plagg laughed. 

“Yeah. I didn’t see that one coming.” Adrien joined in the laughing. “He mustn’t have really been in love with Marinette.” He knew that no amount of time trapped with someone else would have broken his love for Ladybug. Everything she did sent his heart fluttering. Adrien recalled how she had scratched his chin when she found out he had put a tracker on Kim. And then there had been the way her voice had sounded when she had called him Kitty… It had made his day. 

“Maybe we should help Marinette next. It’s more entertaining than I thought.” Plagg laughed again. 

Adrien rolled his eyes. Plagg had enjoyed Nino’s embarrassment way too much. “I think I’ll leave the matchmaking to Ladybug.” She obviously had a knack for it.

*****

“So how did Nino go from ‘just like a brother’ to this!” Marinette asked her friend over the phone that evening. She had immediately called once her friend had texted her that she had gotten back from seeing a movie with Nino. 

Alya laughed, sounding giddy. Alya. Giddy. Marinette shook her head in amazement. “Nino is way cooler than I thought. He’s into all the same comics I am and the same type of music. Who knew Ladybug could be such a matchmaker.”

Marinette laughed awkwardly. That hadn’t been what she was doing at all! She had just wanted to make sure her friends would be safe. If she had known Adrien was there, she would have thrown him in with them too. 

“Laugh all you want but why else would she have put you in a separate cage.” 

Right… that had been her cover. “Maybe, but how could she have known?”

“I don’t know. Who knows what crazy powers she has. She always seems to know everybody’s names after all.”

Marinette didn’t comment. She had been surprised when Cat Noir had known who Kim was. A while back he had said they might know each other in real life and she had scoffed. But if he knew who Kim was maybe that was true. Still, she didn’t know anyone who shared his arrogance. Maybe Cat Noir was a sports' jock from another school and had met Kim at a sporting event. He was fit enough and sort of had that jock attitude. Although he had a softer side too she had discovered, he had hugged her tight after her stunt with the car jack. She hadn’t meant to scare Cat Noir and didn't think about how it might have looked from his perspective. Despite all his jokes he really did care about her and was capable of being serious. Marinette giggled, forgetting she was still on the phone with Alya.

“I know! Sweet right!”

Shoot she hadn’t been listening. “I’m so happy for you.” She said. Hoping it was an appropriate response. Tikki blinked at her. 

“Thanks M. Hey do you think your parents would mind doing an interview for my blog? I can’t believe they helped Ladybug and Cat Noir! So lucky!”

“I would imagine so. It’s all they’ve been talking about.” She hadn’t realized how big fans her parents were. It had felt so weird! She also was a little disappointed that they hadn't recognized her. Which was crazy because no one was supposed to know her identity and she had been terrified that her mom had recognized the red superhero in front of her as her daughter. It had been a relief when it turned out she had just been a little star struck. Partly a relief anyways. As irrational as it had been, she thought that if anyone would have figured it out it would have been her parents. 

“Hellooooo. Marinette!” Right. 

“Sorry. I’ll set up a time ok!”

“You’re the best. See you tomorrow!” Her friend hung up. 

“You were quite distracted on the phone with Alya.” Tikki observed in her disapproving way. 

“Just processing the day.” 

Tikki's scowl softened in understanding. 

“Tikki… why doesn’t anybody recognize me when I’m Ladybug?” Sure she wore a mask but still… 

Tikki smiled sympathetically with those knowing eyes. “Is this about your parents?” 

Marinette nodded. 

“Your parents know you very well Marinette. No amount of love could break the mask’s magic.”

Marinette smiled timidly. She had suspected there was some magic involved. “Thanks Tikki.” The kwami giggled and hugged her cheek. 

“It’s a good thing your parents liked your partner isn’t it?” 

Marinette groaned. That cat had acted as if he had been right at home. Snooping around and looking at her family pictures. Of course, he hadn't known that they were hers. Despite that, her parents had offered him some pastries, which he had shamelessly enjoyed. It’s a good thing he didn’t know they were her parents. He would have no doubt embarrassed her further. She had nearly given herself away too. What a disaster that would have been. 

“I guess. It’s not like they’ll interact much in the future.” Marinette reassured herself. 

“We’ll see.” Tikki teased.


	20. Antibug

Two akumas back to back. Marinette was still feeling exhausted about the previous day. She had had to save Cat Noir as herself and do so without being seen. She had been so nervous, not only that the lack of her magic suit would impact her ability to save Cat Noir but also that he might see her. The second she had untied his feet, she had ran off to hide, knowing that he’d be able to take care of the rest. He had asked her what had kept her and she had ignored the question. How would she have explained that one? She would have to pack extra snacks for Tikki in the future to avoid such a situation again. Tikki had been right though. She was Ladybug with or without the suit. It hadn’t just been that though, defeating someone with her same powers had been tough. She couldn't have done it without Cat Noir. They really did make a great team. They’d be even better if he didn’t keep trying to kiss her though. She laughed and her teacher gave her a dirty look. Right, class had started.   
She eyed Chloe and Sabrina again. It truly was an odd friendship but she was happy for them. She couldn’t believe Chloe spent so much time pretending to be her alter ego. If ever Chloe found out that her archenemy Marinette was her idol…. Marinette giggled again. 

Alya kicked her under the table and Ms Bustier cleared her throat. Marinette looked down embarrassed and started reading the poem they were assigned. Marinette yawned. Hawk Moth wasn’t pulling any punches lately. It had been a close call today when Vanisher had almost taken her earrings. Lucky for her, Cat Noir had somehow seen what was about to happen and had prevented it. Good thing he had noticed that the flower he had given her had somehow ended up on the floor. She rolled her eyes at the memory of him giving her the flower in the first place. What a flirt. Still, he was a good partner and friend. She had been hurt that he hadn’t returned her fist-bump when they had defeated the Vanisher. Ok so maybe he had been right. She should have listened to Chloe (despite her manipulative lying tendencies) and she had apologized. It had hurt her pride but she had done it.   
Clearly Cat Noir hadn’t been too angry with her though because they had fist- bumped after defeating Antibug and he had smiled approvingly at her while she was leaving. It was odd how important it had been to her that they be on good terms again. It wasn’t just that she needed him to save Paris. He had become more than just a teammate. He was a friend. An important one that she didn’t like fighting with. 

*****

Adrien was proud of Chloe. She had taken Ladybug’s advice and had worked things out with Sabrina - in her own way, to quote Marinette. It was amazing how Marinette, despite everything Chloe said to her over time, still wanted her happiness. She was so kind. She reminded him of Ladybug a bit. Ladybug always seemed to go sour around Chloe. She had been right about Chloe having lied to them but he suspected there was more to it than that. Chloe was obviously a huge Ladybug fan and for some reason that bugged her. Adrian chuckled at his own inner joke. Bugged. Ahah.   
To be fair, Chloe had impersonated her but Ladybug had been angry before discovering that. He doubted it was simply that Chloe had been hiding something. Whatever the reason, despite her annoyance, Ladybug had apologized and worked things out with Chloe in the end. Maybe next time she wouldn’t be so quick to get annoyed.   
And maybe next time, she would kiss him. Adrien smiled wistfully. She was flirting back with him a lot lately. That look in her eyes when she had poked his bell had been mesmerizing. He had leaned in, prepared to kiss her. If only Antibug’s stupid yoyo hadn’t interrupted. Adrien sighed. This was the problem with trying to win over his lady. The second their work was done; they had to run off to protect their identities. And trying to win her over during a mission was impossible. She hadn’t even glanced at the flower he had given her earlier that day.   
Maybe it was time for him to take another evening stroll. He often did so in the hopes of crossing paths with his lady while also ensure the streets stayed safe. He hadn’t seen her in a while but maybe tonight would be the night. There was no denying the spark he felt today after she had winked at him and smiled as she flew off. Adrian smiled at the memory. His wish of them being more than just work partners may be closer than he thought. 

He heard Marinette laugh behind him again and wondered what she was laughing at, paranoid for a second that he had voiced his thought out loud. He glanced back to see that she was focused on the poem. He shook his head. He should be focused on his schoolwork too. Then later he could seek out Ladybug. 

*****

Later that night, Marinette was in her bed laughing at a video Alya had sent her of Chloe being haunted by Vanisher. Now that the akuma was dealt with, she felt like she could enjoy that little piece of the day. Tikki didn’t even give her a disapproving look and may have been suppressing a smile of her own. Marinette was about to tease her kwami about it when she heard a loud crash outside. She practically leapt out of bed and rushed to the trap door that led to the rooftop, making a beeline for the balcony railing. Grasping it with both hands, her eyes scanned the streets for the source for the commotion. 

“There!” Tikki pointed straight down. Marinette leaned over the railing and spotted a car partly wrapped around the lamppost just outside the bakery. She also noticed her dad rushing out to help as her mom lagged behind dialling her phone. She was probably calling for an ambulance. 

Marinette turned to ask Tikki to transform but she wasn’t over her shoulder like she had been a moment ago. 

“Quick thinking on your parents end but I think I’ll help out anyways.” 

Marinette whirled around quickly, she recognized that voice, but Cat Noir was already sliding down his rod to help. He had the door open in seconds and was pulling out the unconscious driver while ensuring to keep her head stable. Sirens in the distance told her that the medical team was on its way. Guess they didn’t need her help after all.   
You’re nothing without your Cat Noir. Antibug’s earlier words came to her mind. She had meant it as an insult but it hadn't fazed her. She did need Cat Noir. They were a great team. So why was she now feeling bitter about it? 

“Don’t worry, the driver’s ok. Another texter and driver.” 

Marinette jumped at the sudden appearance of Cat Noir on her balcony. She glanced around, still no sign of Tikki. Despite his words, Cat Noir’s eye’s followed the retreating ambulance. A policeman was questioning her parents about what they had seen. Marinette stepped back from the balcony. Cat Noir was still perched, now eyeing the rest of the city. She watched his shoulders relax and then his composure droop a little. She took a step forward about to put a comforting hand on his shoulder before she caught herself. She wasn’t Ladybug right now. They didn’t really know each other, not from Cat Noir’s perspective. His eyes found hers and she smiled awkwardly. 

“Don’t stay out here too late. It’s going to get cold tonight.” He blew a kiss and was off before she could say a word. 

Well, that had been weird. He had seemed disappointed by something… He wasn’t wrong about the cold though, she shivered as a gust of wind convinced her to go back inside. Tikki zipped out of her hiding plane between some potted plants to join her. 

“Quick thinking Tikki.” Marinette complimented her kwami. Another close call. That was twice today that Cat Noir could have discovered her identity. She wondered briefly how he would have reacted. How would she have reacted? They had only ever interacted once with her in her civilian form and she had pretended to be a huge fawning fan. He would no doubt tease her endlessly about it. Marinette smiled as she got back into her bed before she realized she had been wearing her pyjamas this whole time. Cat Noir had seen her in her pyjamas. He would no doubt have teased her about that as well if he had known.   
“Really good quick thinking.” She repeated before falling asleep. It had been a far too exhausting day.


	21. The puppeteer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set before the actual end of the episode where we see Marinette babysitting again. This is set after they beat the akuma.

Alya was confused about what had just happened. Last she remembered, she had been on the metro to catch a movie with Marinette. Obviously, it was akuma related because Ladybug and Cat Noir had been there, caring for Manon. Alya searched for her phone but it was nowhere in sight. Great. Her two favourite heroes were in front of her and she had no way to film it. She looked up to see that Ladybug had already disappeared. Darn. 

“Alya? Thank goodness you’re alright!” Marinette ran to her, giving her a big hug. “I came as soon as I heard you were here.” Alya hugged her back. Good, someone would have answers. In the corner of her eye, she watched Lieutenant Roger help Nathaniel out of the building and Nadine carrying her daughter. 

“I believe these are yours.” Cat Noir walked over, interrupting their hug and handing over Marinette’s dolls. One of which was a Lady Wifi doll.

“Girl, you did not seriously make a doll of my akumatized self did you?” 

Marinette looked embarrassed as she hid the doll behind her back as if that would magically make her unsee it.

“These are pretty cool. Did you really make them?” Cat Noir was playing with the doll version of himself before Marinette yanked it out of his hands. 

“I made them for Manon." Marinette looked pleadingly in Alya's direction "You know how she gets sometimes but she loves Ladybug and Cat Noir so I made her the dolls and it made babysitting her so much easier but then I had to make villains to play with and you- I mean Lady Wifi was one of her favourites so-“

“Chill girl. I was only kidding.“ Alya interrupted before Marinette passed out from lack of oxygen. “Do you happen to know where my phone went?”

Marinette shook her head. “You had it with you when you left the metro…”  
“It’s probably at Marinette’s, Ladybug mentioned she tried to get your akuma, only you didn’t have one.” Cat Noir contributed. 

“Don’t you need to run off or something?” Marinette asked. Alya starred at her friend, shocked. Rude much girl? Cat Noir didn't seem offended. 

Cat Noir shrugged. “I didn’t end up needing to use my cataclysm so I’m not on the clock.” He smirked and then leaned on Marinette’s shoulder. “I’m all yours.” 

Alya couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Cat Noir was flirting with Marinette. 

“Thanks but no thanks.” Marinette pushed his arm off her with a smile that spoke of familiarity. What on Earth?

“Well it’s been a pleasure Mesdemoiselles.” He bowed to both of them. “Guess I’ve got a solo movie to catch.” And he was gone. 

“OMG.” Alya stared at her friend, eyes wide. 

“Come on. If we hurry maybe we can catch the second showing of our own movie or get your book.” Marinette grabbed her arm as if a superhero hadn’t just put the moves on her. 

“Are we seriously not going to talk about what just happened?” 

“Oh right. You must not have any memories-“

“Not that!” Alya groaned. Although they would have to get back to that later. “Cat Noir!”

Marinette blinked. “Oh that. He just does that.” She looked away. 

It was Alya’s turn to blink. “What does that mean?”

Marinette turned pink. “Oh I just meant that time I helped him catch the Evillustrator.” 

“You didn’t mention anything about him flirting with you!”

“I didn’t think much about it. All he did was kiss my hand and-“

“He kissed your hand?!” Man her girl had given her the cliff notes apparently. “Forget the movie. We’re going to your place so I can get my phone and you can tell me all about how you’re secretly dating a superhero.” 

“Dating?!” Marinette squeaked. “What? I- No!”

Alya laughed. Well that had certainly been worth it. “I was only teasing.” She grabbed her friend by the arm, leading her out of the building. “Still, you have some details to tell me.”

*****

Cat Noir jumped behind the cinema and transformed. Adrien quickly gave Plagg some cheese. “Well we missed the first showing but maybe there’s another movie we could see.”

“Hmmm popcorn.” Plagg responded, his way of agreeing. "Maybe you could invite those two friends of yours, you obviously like that pigtails girl."

Adrien laughed. "You know there's only one girl for me Plagg."

"Could have fooled me." Plagg said in a low enough voice that Adrien wasn't sure if he had been meant to hear it. 

He wasn't sure what had made him flirt with Marinette. She acted differently around Cat Noir than Adrien and that made him curious. She seemed more sure of herself and it was fun to push her buttons a bit. But Plagg was right, if it came off as being flirty that was no good. Marinette was a friend, he didn't want to give her the wrong impression. Not that there seemed any danger of that. She had pushed him away just as easily as Ladybug did. "I think you were better when you sounded like a 5-year-old girl." Cat Noir groaned at the memory of Ladybug right before she had bugged out. How long had he been out of it?

Adrien walked around the corner only to bump into his bodyguard. He looked none too pleased to have been given the slip earlier. Adrien gave a nervous chuckle. The gorilla simply laid his hand on Adrien’s back and guided him to the car. Adrien sighed as he got in. So much for his movie plans. Stupid akuma attack. He couldn’t believe Hawk Moth had akumatized a little girl. He had to admit, It had been quite effective. Puppeteer had managed to take complete control over Cat Noir after all. But a little kid? He was known to attack teenagers but never a little girl. Hopefully she would be ok. Thankfully, she wouldn’t remember any of it and her mom had been right there after she had transformed back into Manon. He wondered how Ladybug had managed to beat off, not one, but three villains and her own partner. But that was his resourceful lady. Still. That’s something he would have liked to see. Too bad there would be no Ladyblog about it.

*****

"And that's it I swear." Marinette wrapped up her recap of her encounters with Cat Noir. 

Alya tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Not a lot to go off of but I still think Cat Noir has a thing for you. I thought he liked Ladybug." Alya frowned, trying to figure out the puzzle. 

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Please, he flirts with everyone." Wasn't the fact that he flirted with both Ladybug and Marinette indication that he was just messing around. 

Alya shrugged. "Maybe he's given up on her." She sounded sad. Marinette wished he would. But clearly he was still going to play his silly games with her, Marinette thought, thinking about how he had told her she could pull on his heartstrings anytime. Despite herself, she smiled a little. It had been funny. 

"Ugh, I can't find anything on today's akuma attack. This is so annoying."

Marinette smiled at her friend. She was an akuma news junky through and through but she suspected she was more curious about what she had done while under control. "The akuma attack really didn't last that long. I don't think you hurt anyone." She tried to reassure her friend. On the ride home, Marinette had told Alya the parts she had seen as a civilian. She wished she could reveal more to her friend. 

"I should have asked Cat Noir about it. He was right there afterall." 

"You didn't hurt anyone on the subway, you came straight here." Marinette made a gesture to her room. "And then it wasn't long before I heard you were at the TV station. I really don't think much happened." 

"Yeah... I still wish I could have seen it. I mean it sounds like it was Ladybug against 5 villains. That girl is insanely amazing!"

Marinette tried to hide her blush. She didn't feel like she deserved the compliment. She had succeeded thanks to a lot of luck and it had been far too close, one more second and she would have been under the puppeteer's control. Then what? Hawkmoth would have her miraculous, no more Ladybug and Cat Nir, no more Tikki... Marinette looked around, trying to find her kwami. She couldn't imagine not having Tikki around. That thought above all others is what terrified her the most. 

"Wanna play mega strike?" Alya changed topics. She probably wanted the distraction. 

"Sounds good to me." Marinette smiled and went to set it up at her computer. Tikki popped her head out from behind the monitor and Marinette smiled at seeing her, it's as if she had known that Marinette needed the reassurance that she was ok. Marinette briefly patted Tikki's head affectionately before the kwami hid again from Alya. Hawkmoth had gotten close but never again. No way was that monster going to get his hands on her companion.


	22. Reflekta

“Looks like you got your perfect picture with Adrien after all.” Alya winked at Marinette. They were walking over to her place to study for the next day’s test. She was mad that their science teacher hadn’t postponed the date given the days’ events but the teacher had argued that if every time there was an akuma attack they postponed classes that they would never learn anything. She wasn’t totally wrong. 

Marinette was too gleeful to be mad about that now though. Not only had they managed to get a class picture with Juleka, but she had been right next to Adrien in the picture! And to top it off, they had taken the opportunity to have their own little photo shoot in the park. The photographer had wanted to make up for his earlier mistake and had offered to take more pictures for Juleka. Marinette had never seen her classmate so happy. She couldn’t even be jealous of all the cool pictures Juleka had gotten to take with Adrien. Ok, Maybe a little envious but Juleka had needed the cheering up and besides; she had gotten her picture with Adrien and, bonus, no Chloe! 

She had almost messed it up though. If Chloe and Sabrina hadn’t walked in, would she really have deleted the picture and manipulate the situation to get the picture she wanted? As much as she hated admitting it, Chloe had prevented her from making a big mistake. Of course, Tikki had tried to dissuade her. She should have listened to her sooner. Not only had she been right (again), but she hated her kwami being disappointed in her. 

Marinette patted her bag, hoping that Tikki would feel the affection in the small action. The good thing about Tikki was that she was just as quick to forgive as she was to point out error. Tikki popped her head out of Marinette’s purse with a smile. 

“Hey Marinette, it is ok if Nino and Adrien study with us too?” Alya asked, texting, a sly smile on her face. 

There was no more room on Marinette’s face to smile more. “Yes! Of course!” 

Alya laughed and sent off her text. “They’ll meet us at your parent’s bakery.”

*****

Adrien savoured his second croissant as Nino and Alya argued about the best way to solve the chemistry problem they were working on. He barely listened as he took another bite, letting the flakes practically melt in his mouth. Marinette’s parents sure knew how to bake. A jab in his pocket reminded him that he wasn’t the only one who was hungry. He snuck a piece in his shirt when Marinette’s dad walked in with more food. Adrien’s eyes lit up at the sight of the plate of cheese and meats. Plagg stirred in his pocket, he could no doubt smell what was coming. Last time he was here, he had been prevented from eating all the wonderful food but this time Marinette didn’t seem to mind her parent’s hovering. Perhaps she was too distracted. Adrien eyed Marinette, she didn’t even seem to have noticed her dad was in the room. She was frowning at the problem in front of her, eyes focused as she chewed on the tip of her pencil. She must have sensed his starring because she looked up and blushed before quickly looking away. She was always so shy around him. Less so than when they were first getting to know each other but still shy. Sometimes he would catch a glimpse of that fiery personality he had first seen when they had first met. Adrien smiled at the memory. She hadn’t held anything back when she had accused him of sticking the gum on her chair. Just like today when she had stood up for Juleka. She was such a great friend. Adrien grabbed some more food and gave Plagg a piece before he could jab him again. Juleka had quickly recovered from her busy day. Marinette had cheered her up with her brilliant idea to take pictures in the park. It was almost as if the whole Reflekta thing hadn’t happened. Almost. His feet still hurt from walking around in heels. He pushed down the frisson at the memory. There was something quite unsettling about being trapped in a body that didn’t feel right. Not to mention that clothing… What had been worst was Ladybug doubting that he would be able to help her. She had quickly changed her tune however and had even called him amazing when everything had been turned back to normal. Adrien smiled at the memory, letting a happy sigh escape. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying the food Adrien.” Marinette’s mom smiled at him as she brought in some drinks and kissed Marinette on the cheek. 

“Moooom.” Marinette leaned away. Her mother was unphased.

“How was school. I just heard that there was another akuma attack nearby.”

“It was awesome Mrs Cheng!” Nino chimed up. “We got to see Cat Noir in action!” He punched the air with his fists. Adrien chuckled. “Well until we all got turned into Reflekta copies.” Nino shivered and Alya gave him a comforting rub on the back. 

“It happened at the school? Are you ok honey?” Sabine was looking over her daughter. 

“I’m fine mom, I missed the whole thing actually.”

“Your daughter has the best luck. She always misses these things.” Alya commented, winking at her friend. 

“Well I’m glad you’re all ok.” Sabine smiled at them and kissed Marinette on the cheek again before leaving them alone.

Alya laughed. “So where were you anyways?” Adrien hadn’t even noticed that Marinette hadn’t been around for any of the action. “You were almost too late for the picture.

“The bathroom.” Marinette blushed. 

“That whole time!” 

“I was hiding and didn't know when Reflekta had left.”

Adrien couldn't blame her. It’s what he thought everyone should do during an attack, hide and stay out of the way. 

“Is that why you were late too?” Nino asked, looking at Adrien. 

“What?”

“You arrived just a minute after Marinette did.”

“Oh yeah, I had stayed home for lunch a little longer until my dad felt it was safe for me to come back.” Adrien lied effortlessly. In truth, he doubted his dad even knew about any of the day’s events. He had been cooped up in his office the whole time Adrien had been at home. That worked for Adrien, if his dad had known maybe he wouldn’t have let him hang out with his friends tonight. 

“Rotten luck bro. Cat Noir and Ladybug were awesome.”

Adrien smiled. If only Nino knew just how lucky he really was. The group silently agreed to get back to studying but Adrien couldn’t focus. Ladybug’s radiant face, telling him he was amazing was on repeat in his head. His luck wasn’t rotten at all.


	23. Pixelator

Normally, Adrien got a rush when he discovered there was a new akuma attack. He would feel the adrenaline rush through his veins and the knowledge that he would see his lady was enough to bring a boost to his mood. Today’s had started as a nightmare though. The day itself hadn’t had the greatest start. Chloe was being particularly possessive and it had been driving him mad. But then he had been captured by the Pixelator and stuck in a weird white empty place. It had been terrifying. He had no idea where he was and if he could get out. Choe hadn’t exactly made the experience pleasant either. He had almost regretted trying to save her. It might not have been the best idea. He had compromised himself and therefore couldn’t be out there helping Ladybug. She was capable of course and he had had faith that she would help them but he had still itched to be out there.  
He had been so relieved to be freed and couldn’t get away from Chloe soon enough. His freedom had been short-lived. With nothing to lose, he had used his cataclysm and had managed not just to free himself but everyone else who had been trapped. If Chloe hadn’t been so clingy he could have done that sooner. He had been irritated but he could only really be irritated at himself. He had been too slow to save Chloe, too slow to avoid capture a second time and had barely helped at all. 

Thankfully everything had worked out. Ladybug had managed to save the day and because he had saved his daughter, the mayor had granted him one of the tickets to see Jagged Stone in concert. It was awesome and made up for the horrible morning. Not only that but he was enjoying it with his three closest friends and he was having the time of his life. He wondered if Ladybug was a fan as well. Did she hear Jagged’s tribute to her namesake? It wasn’t Jagged’s typical style but he managed to capture her essence with the tune. Adrien was committing it to memory. He could play this easy on the piano! Maybe that would win Ladybug’s heart. Not that he was likely to ever have the chance to play for her. There were even a few verses about him. Not that he had been of much help. Ladybug really did deserve all the credit today. 

“Those glasses are off the chain!” Alya had commented when the song was done. 

“Thanks.” Marinette was radiating with pride and confidence. It was a good look on her. The glasses were quite something. It had been what had gotten her the tickets to the show. Chloe’s attempt to ruin Marinette’s day had backfired spectacularly. Adrien glanced again at the dark haired girl next to him. Her eyes were laser focused on Jagged. She was a bigger fan than Adrien had guessed. 

*****

Marinette kept pinching her arm. The evening couldn’t be more perfect she needed to keep checking she wasn’t dreaming. Her favourite signer Jagged Stone was signing about her! And he was wearing the glasses she had made him! And to top it all off she was at the concert with her best friend and her crush. She looked over at Adrien again. He was so excited and the sight of him being so happy warmed her heart. 

Of course, the pinching was also to make sure her right arm was still there. It had been so unsettling to see and feel it only for it to go right through everything and be totally useless. Things had been close. She had lost an arm and a leg and Cat Noir had disappeared. She had been vulnerable, alone and scared. Her one chance had been that mirror, aimed just right at just the right time. If it had failed…   
Marinette shuddered. But Cat Noir had come back, and his staff had been enough to make her plan work. What would she do without her partner?  
She had missed him. She had worked on her own for most of the time and she had missed him like she had missed her arm. They worked so effortlessly together. They anticipated each other’s moves and had each other’s backs. She probably wouldn’t have lost her arm in the first place if he had been around. She hadn’t had the chance to ask him where he had been but she sure was grateful he had shown up. 

Jagged started another song that she hadn’t heard before. It must be part of his new album that would be coming out in a few weeks. She shared an awed look with Alya before jumping to the beat. She accidentally missed her footing and tripped over her feet, landing in Adrien’s arms. 

“You ok?” Adrien yelled over the music as he lifted her upright. 

Marinette simply nodded, hypnotized by the concern in his eyes. She pinched her arm again. Yup, still there and yup, still not a dream.


	24. Guitar Villain

Marinette was practically skipping home. Adrien had asked her for an autograph. HER! Did this mean he would be ok with her asking him for one? Would that be odd? She knew he didn’t like giving them out so probably not. But who cares. He had wanted her name on his album. Her name was now in his room. Marinette squealed. A few nearby pedestrians gave her an odd look.   
Marinette composed herself and instead reflected on the previous day. Jagged had really liked her cover. Her favourite signer and apparently Adrien’s too. They liked the same music on top of the same video games. Were they made for each other or what? Marinette giggled, earning a few more curious looks. Marinette focused on the ground in front of her. She wondered what had made Jagged get akumatized in the first place. He had seemed ok when she had left. She figured that rock stars had problems too. He made for a fun akuma though. Not that him being akumatized was fun but Marinette had to admit that he made a cool one. And riding that dragon… Who could say they’ve ever done that! It was fun in hindsight but in the moment her focus had been on saving Cat Noir who seemed oddly unphased by the fact that he had been plummeting to his death. He seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit actually and was clearly a fan. He had wasted no time in asking Jagged for an autograph. Marinette giggled. She wondered what her partner would say if he knew that she had gotten to design not one but two things for the rock star now. Marinette chuckled at the thought. She was on cloud nine and once home had no intention of hanging around just doing homework. Once one her room, she transformed and leapt from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the wind on her face and keeping an eye on the streets. 

*****  
Adrien proudly placed his autographs from both Jagged Stone and Marinette on his shelf. How crazy that one of his friends was basically his favourite artist’s designer. He had no doubt that she would become an even more awesome designer in the future. How many high school students could put her accomplishments on a resume?

“Can you please turn down the volume.” Plagg was shaking with his hands pushed in his ears. Adrien complied and lowered the volume on Jagged’s new album. His kwami wasn’t as big of a fan. 

“Oh what’s that smell!” Plagg flew to the CD cover Marinette had designed and sniffed it. “Almost as good as camembert!” He sniffed it again. 

Adrien laughed. The sticker Marinette had created was just another proof of her genius. His dad would have been impressed if he hadn’t a distaste for the type of music. “It’s how Marinette imagines rock music smells.”

“Hmmm. That’s pigtails girl right?”

Adrien rolled his eyes. Plagg barely tried to keep up with his human friends and often gave them nicknames. “That’s the one.”

“I like her. She has a good smell.”

“You mean the sticker does.”

“No, she has a good smell, fresh bread, the perfect side to cheese. Maybe you could go study at her bakery again.” 

Adrien ignored him and settled down to do some homework. He had the luck to interact with his favourite signer a lot in the last week. Chloe had called earlier to see if he still wanted to meet Jagged but Adrien had turned it down. He had spent a fair amount of time with the signer after he and Ladybug had rescued him. Ladybug had needed to run off pretty quickly so it had all been up to Cat Noir. Maybe she wasn’t a fan. Which meant she probably didn’t know about the song he had written her. Adrien glanced at the piano. He had learned to play it soon after the concert he had been to last week. Maybe he could make her a digital copy of his version… give it as a gift… Only then he would be giving a clue to his identity. Something she most certainly would scowl him for. Adrien sighed. Their time together had been far too short lately. Akuma attack, get in, get out, minimal chitchat. He hadn’t seen Ladybug in the evenings for ages now too. He glanced at his window and then back at the homework in front of him. The homework could wait he decided.

“Come on Plagg, time for an evening stroll!” He transformed and was out in no time. He didn’t have his hopes up. How many times had he been patrolling the city and he hadn’t caught sight of his lady once. If nothing else, it felt good to stretch his muscles. And so he nearly missed his footing and fall the 6 floors to the street below him when he saw Ladybug leaping a few buildings away. He quickly grabbed the edge and double his pace to catch up, smiling the whole way. Turns out today was his lucky day. He made a wide circle around the direction she was heading and leaned against a chimney she was heading towards. 

“Hello milady.” He smiled at her when she was within earshot. “I never managed to thank you for saving my life the other day.”

Ladybug smiled at him, slowing to a walk. “All in a days work.”

“Only I think you owe me an apology for having to get XY down the Eiffel tower on my own.” He quipped as he walked next to her.

Ladybug gave him a sympathetic look. “Not a fan?”

Cat Noir laughed. “Not really, but I also got to hang out with Jagged so I guess I’ll forgive you.” They both stopped at the edge of the rooftop. 

“Really that over me saving your life?”

“What can I say. I’m a huge fan.” He shrugged, hoping she would indicate whether or not she was a fan too. She seemed content to simply watch the Parisian skyline. “I was at his concert last week.” Cat Noir offered. 

Ladybug looked at him surprised. “You were?”

“Yeah, he wrote a song about you, did you know?” 

Ladybug blushed and looked away. “I did, I was there too.” 

Cat Noir smiled. So she was a fan. And not just that but they had been at the same concert. Maybe he had seen her without even knowing it. 

“It’s not his usual style but I think it’s my new favourite song.” He smiled at her, leaning towards her slightly. 

Ladybug giggled. It was the best sound in the world.   
“I’m guessing your favourite part is the verse about you.” She nudged his elbow. 

“I’ve missed this.” Cat Noir said after a beat. Ladybug gave him a quizzical look. “Spending time with you when we’re not busy saving the city. It looks quiet tonight, perhaps we could-”

“Well well well if it isn’t the little kitty and his bug.” Antibug showed up next to them. Cat Noir quickly got his staff out and was aiming it at the akumatized Chloe. “I’ve been searching for you two.” She gave an evil grin. Ladybug quickly went in for the attack and Cat Noir soon followed suit. So much for the quiet evening. “What upset you this time Chloe?” He asked as he tried to trip her. His question was answered with a cackle as she managed to divert Ladybug’s yoyo. Cat Noir groaned. He knew he shouldn’t be annoyed with Chloe. Is she had gotten akumatized something must have happened and he should check up on her when they were finished here. He glanced at Ladybug as she almost managed to wrap Antibug with her yoyo. One of these days they would have time for a proper date.


	25. Princess Fragrance

“I had no idea you could sing.” Ladybug teased, landing next to Cat Noir by the canal to help him up. 

Cat Noir blinked at her. He did not sing. Or had he? He had blanked out for quite a while. Again. Why did that keep happening? “I take it this means Princess Fragrance has been snuffed out.” The last thing he remembered was being in that car… Ladybug had been nowhere in sight. And with him compromised – again – she had had to work on her own. Again. 

Ladybug’s earrings beeped. She was down to two minutes. He looked at his own ring. He was down to just the middle pad! He could transform any second now. When had he even used his cataclysm? 

Ladybug put her arm under his and swung them to a nearby alley. “You better hide quick.” She nudged him towards a dumpster and swung away, no doubt to hide for her own transformation. She was out of site not a moment too soon and Adrien was left standing alone in the alleyway, just as confused as earlier. 

“Oh this is much better.” Plagg flew out to the dumpster and started eating the cheese off some discarded pizza. Adrien stuck his tongue out. Gross. What was with his kwami’s sudden fascination with trash? 

The sun was setting. He was going to be late for karate. Where had the time gone? “No time Plagg, we have to go!” 

“But I just started!” 

Adrien ignored him, calling for the transformation and catapulting himself away. He could really use a day off. 

*****

Tikki hated being sick. She had barely been able to keep her eyes open and the effort of acting like a doll had been exhausting. She probably couldn’t have helped Marinette very long but they had had to do something. Marinette hadn’t wanted to hear about it. She had wanted to get her to a doctor asap and so she had told him where to find Master Fu. He had sounded well. She had no choice to tell Marinette about where to find him but she had hoped they could delay that visit. It was probably for the best though. The akuma attacks where getting worse and more frequent. It wouldn’t be long now before Master Fu would have sought Marinette out anyway. 

She could hear Marinette flop on her bed and so Tikki made her way out of the purse. 

“That was too close. If I hadn’t shown up Cat Noir may have transformed in front of someone.” 

“You did great Marinette!” Tikki encouraged. 

Marinette sat up on her bed and cupped Tikki in her hands. “How about you? Are you ok?”

“Never better.” She smiled back. 

“I should have taken you to the doctor sooner.” Marinette looked guiltily away. 

“It’s not your fault I fell out of your bag.” That and she had been the one to tell Marinette to go to class. 

“Marinette?” It was Marinette’s mom. 

“Tikki hide!”

She flew under the pillow just in time. 

“What’s this about you being late for science this morning? You had left so early.” She heard Marinette’s mom’s disappointed tone. 

“I uhhh… got confused on which day it was and went to the wrong class.” 

“That’s what you have your agenda for, Marinette. This isn’t like you and it’s been going on long enough. When your dad gets home we’ll have a talk about what to do about this.” 

Tikki peaked out upon hearing the trapdoor close. The coast was clear. 

Marinette looked upset. Tikki knew she hated disappointing her parents.   
“You need to come up with better excuses.”

“I think I’ve used them all up Tikki.” Marinette fell back on her bed. “I’ll be grounded for sure.” 

Tikki patted her arm. She hated seeing Marinette struggle with her secret identity. But they couldn’t find out. If Hawkmoth was to akumatize one of them, Marinette would be done for. Her nearly finding out who Cat Noir was just moments ago was dangerous enough. As much as she suspected such a revelation to do both the heroes’ some good, that is if her hunch about who Cat Noir was was correct, it would most likely mean them needing to be replaced. Nothing good ever came out of Ladybug and Cat Noir knowing each other’s identities. It put missions in peril in the past. There had been a few exceptions of course… Tikki smiled at the memory of her master four Ladybugs ago. What a romantic story that had been.

“And I’m supposed to go to Nino’s thing this Saturday too! And Adrien was going to be there!” Marinette was still freaking out. “Maybe if I do some extra work around the house they’ll give me another chance.” 

“It’s worth a shot.” Tikki encouraged. 

“Right.” Marinette got up and pulled her sleeves up. “Let’s get to it.”

Tikki smiled at her current wielder. There was a good story in the making right here too.


	26. Simon says

Gabriel Agreste was furious. The miraculous had been right there in front of him. Not only that, but a suspicion had grown inside of his mind. Could it really be that his son, his Adrien, was Cat Noir? He had to make sure. If he was right, then he had repeatedly put his own son in danger… but it also meant that one of the miraculous would be a lot easier to get his hands on then he had realized… The next akuma he made would have to wait until he could come up with a plan to find out the truth.

*****

“How on earth are we supposed to get in contact with Ladybug and Cat Noir?” One of the producers was panicking. They seemed to be on a commercial break. 

Ladybug landed next to him. “Looking for me?” She smiled. Alya was in the room and immediately pulled out her phone, grinning from ear to ear. Nino was over the moon. It had felt good to roam the sky again. She hadn't needed to become Ladybug all week, which was great for patching things up with her parents. She wondered what Hawkmoth was up to. She couldn't remember ever going so long without an akuma attack. 

Cat Noir walked through the doors. “I hear we’re to have our first dance milady.” He walked over to her. 

“Perfect!” The producer let out a sigh of relief. “And we’re back in three, two…” He gestured for the host to pick things up where they had left off. 

“And we’re back with two very special guests!” The host grabbed their attention as a camera panned to them. “Take it away Nino!”

Nino started playing an upbeat song and Cat Noir extended an inviting hand to her. “May I?” He asked with his characteristic grin. 

Ladybug hesitated. She wanted Nino to win but she hadn’t really thought this through. At least it wasn’t a slow dance. She took Cat Noir’s hand and he pulled her closer and started to lead her into a spin. She wasn’t sure what kind of dance it was but Cat Noir was good at it and she simply followed where his tugs led her. He was very sure footed and Ladybug was surprised at the gently and yet strong way in which he led her. She had expected the host to announce Nino a winner and end the dance in just a few seconds but when the host had declared Nino the winner, the DJ simply continued playing, changing the tune and bringing it to a proper finish. 

Cat Noir made Ladybug spin back to him one last time before dipping her. Ladybug felt slightly out of breath and felt flushed. What was wrong with her? The song behind done, she pushed Cat Noir so he would stand up straight and took a step back to put a greater distance between the two. 

“And commercial break!” 

“Thanks guys!” Nino ran over to them. “I knew I could count on you!”  
“Congrats on winning. You deserved it.” Ladybug smiled at him. Alya was next to him in seconds, giving him a hug. 

“That was awesome!” She released a blushing Nino. “I didn’t know you guys could dance like that.” Her phone was pointed at them. 

Ladybug, still feeling warm, didn’t feel like being the centre of attention. “That’s enough for today. Bug out!” Ladybug wrapped her yoyo on one of the light fixtures and used the anchor to swing through the open door. Cat Noir was hot on her tail and grabbed hold of her. 

“Wait.” 

Ladybug looked at him and settled for walking down the hall. He smiled at her. 

“What?” She asked somewhat irritated. 

“There hasn’t been an akuma in nearly a week. I haven’t seen you.” 

“So?” 

“Haven’t you missed me?” His voice was coy but his ears were floppy and so Ladybug adjusted her tone. 

“To be honest, I’ve enjoyed the break. It’s almost been like a vacation don’t you think?”

“To be honest, I’ve missed the excitement.” 

“What? Last week’s zombie attack wasn’t enough excitement?” Ok so it hadn’t really been a zombie attack but the people under Simon’s control had been close enough. 

“Not too exciting for you. I hear you spent most of that time with a model. Not trying to make me jealous are you?” 

“Pfff. You wish.” She scoffed. 

“Not that that guy could actually make me jealous. I hear he’s quite boring.”

Ladybug stopped walking. “Adrien? Who told you that?” She eyed him accusingly. 

Cat Noir couldn’t help but smile at her angry tone. 

Ladybug stood taller and started walking again. “It doesn’t matter. They’re wrong. Adrien isn’t boring.”

Cat Noir smiled again. Seeing her defend his alter ego with such vigour made him quite gleeful. 

“I don’t blame the guy, with a dad like that…” Cat Noir was enjoying this quite a bit. If only she knew… 

“Gabriel Agreste? He’s a tricky personality but he’s proud of his son for sure.” Cat Noir’s smile disappeared. Now what would make her say that? “You didn’t think so?”

“I think he’s a tricky personality alright.” Cat Noir agreed, feeling tight-lipped. 

“Well he doesn’t think his son is boring. He’s proud to have such a flawless son to help with his business.”

“Flawless?” He nearly choked the words out. There’s no way his dad said any such thing. 

Ladybug crossed her arms in indignation with her chin raised. “I happen to agree with him.” She smiled back at him over her shoulder as she walked away, daring him to call her out on making him jealous again. Only he wasn’t about to be jealous of himself and he was far more focused on this new tidbit of information.

“Wait.” He ran up to her, seeing her smug look erased by his lack of playing around and sudden seriousness. “You’re telling me that heartless person we met actually said something nice about his son.” 

Ladybug starred at him perplexed. “Were you imagining some truly evil father?”

Yes. “I’m just surprised I guess.” He tried playing it cool. 

“Guess you weren’t around him as much. He showed me some pictures of his son before you showed up. Called him the picture of perfection. Tell me that doesn’t sound like a proud parent.”

Cat Noir didn’t know what to do with that information. Was it possible that his dad was proud of him in some way? Adrien had been so angry with him recently… 

“I have to head back home before my parents realize I’m gone.” They had somehow reached the outdoors. “I’ll see you around.” She was gone before the words registered. He quickly made his way back home himself. He would see Ladybug again eventually but for once he had important matters to attend. 

*****

“Father?” Adrien asked, coming out of his room and roaming the hall. To his surprise, his father was waiting for him at dinner. 

“Where have you been? Nathalie knocked on your door 10 minutes ago for dinner.” His father was eyeing him suspiciously. It was the most eye contact they had given each other in weeks. 

“I was in the shower.” Adrien quickly lied. He had arrived from his dance with ladybug just moments ago but thankfully he had taken a quick shower so his wet hair would contribute to his alibi. 

“Hmm.” His father observed him as he sat down. Nathalie brought in their plates and Adrien started eating. 

“I’ve been thinking you should spend more time with me in my study.”

Adrien nearly choked on his food. 

“You should be exposed to the different aspects of the company some more.”

“Whatever you say father.” Adrien said in a monotone voice but under the table, he fidgeted a bit. This was new. 

“You were right when you said I haven’t noticed you enough recently.”

Adrien stared at his father, mouth slightly ajar. 

“Nathalie has already added it to your schedule.” His father ate the last pieced of his dinner. “I will see you then.” He got up and left Adrien alone. 

Adrien stared at his father’s retreating figure and then at his plate, deep in thought. He wanted to spend more time with his dad, like before… but something felt off. 

Plagg moved from the inside of his shirt, giving him a worried look. 

Maybe he was just being paranoid. His father wanted to spend more time with him. He had admitted to not noticing him enough. He should be happy. Then why did he feel so nervous?


	27. Volpina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set between the very small interval between Volpina and the collector.

Hawkmoth transformed back into Gabriel and stormed out of his lair. He had been so close that time. If Cat Noir hadn’t realized the illusion of his son, Ladybug would have given her miraculous. Gabriel kicked a door open to get to his office. At least it hadn’t been a complete waste of time. The plan had been risky but he had been waiting for someone close to his son to be emotional enough to get akumatized in order to check his theory. His son and Cat Noir had been in the same place at the same time and so Cat Noir couldn’t be Adrien. Gabriel gave a sigh of relief as he entered his office. He still had a fashion show to save. 

Half his mind on the task at hand, he reflected on what had gone wrong. Volpina had managed to trick Cat Noir but not Ladybug. How had she known? She had fallen for the Adrien illusion. Thinking back on it, he realized that Adrien had ran off just before Cat Noir had arrived. He hadn’t actually seen them at the same time and when Ladybug had checked the bathroom, Adrien hadn’t been there. Gabriel stopped what he was working on. Maybe he hadn’t ruled anything out after all… He needed to study that ring some more. Far too distracted to continue working on the show, Gabriel walked over to the painting of his wife to retrieve the spell book. He had been looking at past Cat Noirs in the hope of acquiring some kind of clue. To his surprise, the book wasn’t there. 

“Nathalie!” He frantically moved things around. He could have sworn he had put it back in its place…

“Yes, sir.” At least someone working for him was competent. 

“Have you seen the book?” He didn’t bother glancing at her. 

“No, sir. But I didn’t see Adrien around the painting this morning.”

Gabriel stopped his search and shot daggers at his assistant. 

“What? Get him over here right now!” 

“Of course sir.” Nathalie said, remaining calm. 

Why else would Adrien take the book if he weren’t Cat Noir? Gabriel started pacing. He needed to find out the truth before doing anything drastic, less he give his own secret identity away. If Adrien didn’t take the book then he had a far more serious problem on his hands… one that may require a drastic measure to fix.

*****  
Adrien looked everywhere for the book. Where was it? He had it in his bag just earlier that day. Plagg was useless in helping him look for it. Last time he had seen it was at the library. Maybe he should retrace his steps. He could have also left it at his fencing class. Hopefully, his dad wouldn't notice it was missing. Odd that he had something like it in the first place. Adrien didn't think his father cared about anything but his job these days but maybe he liked superheroes. Obviously, he knew less about his dad than he thought. 

Adrien sighed as he recalled how Lila had claimed to be a miraculous holder just like him. He had been both surprised and relieved. Finally there was someone who could understand what it was like and might be willing to talk about it, unlike Ladybug. He didn’t want to think about the thoughts that had gone through his head. About maybe revealing his identity as well. If Ladybug hadn't shown up to out Lila as a liar maybe he would have. 

Of course, that wasn’t the only moment he had nearly given away too much. What would Ladybug have done if he hadn't gotten home in time to be Adrien? He hadn't even had time to transform back and thankfully his shower trick had worked again. Ladybug must think his pretty superficial, Adrien thought sadly. Would it be so bad for them to know each other’s identities? If ladybug had known who he really was she wouldn’t have been fooled by the mirage of a dangling Adrien. She had nearly given up her earrings because she thought it was real. Wasn’t that more dangerous than knowing who he was?   
Then again, if he had told Lila who he was then Hawkmoth would also have known. No one could know who he was just in case they were akumatized but surely Ladybug could be an exception. 

Could they even get akumatized? He rarely saw his lady fazed but today she had seemed very much unlike herself with how she had treated Lila and then Volpina. She may have been right in the end but did she have to be so harsh about it? To her credit, she had tried to make amends and seemed a lot more like herself once the akuma had been taken care of. She must simply really hate liars. She was just as mad with Chloe about her lying to them a few weeks ago. This time Ladybug had been right though, unlike him. He had completely fallen for the whole new superhero thing whereas Ladybug had known something was off from the start. 

“Adrien.” Nathalie called him from the hall before opening the door. “Your father would like to speak with you.”

Oh no. He was too late. Adrien quickly checked his bag one last time before dejectedly leaving his room to find his father. He was in a lot of trouble.


	28. The Collector

Adrien was surprised at all the attention he was getting upon his return to school. He had been equally surprised when his father had called him down to tell him he had found the book. He had even opened up about why he had it in the first place. Adrien had felt like they were one step closer to what they used to be before his mom had disappeared. His dad being akumatized was the best thing to have happened for them really. And not just because it proved that he couldn't be Hawk Moth. 

Ladybug had terrified him with her theory. He had been so surprised at first that he hadn't even pushed her to tell him why. But now that the worry was proven false, he wondered why she couldn’t have just told him the reason for her theory. Not that it mattered anymore but he didn’t like that there were even more secrets between them now. This wasn’t the first time she had hidden stuff from him. Secret missions and now secret theories. Why couldn’t he help discover who Hawk Moth was? Did Ladybug not trust him? It seemed ridiculous given everything they’d been through together. 

“I am so glad you’re back Adrien.” Chloe cooed, her arm still around him. He gently pulled away as she took another picture now that people were spreading out and walking indoors. “Everybody missed you. Well except for Marinette who seemed happy you were gone. She was so blazé about the whole thing before putting on this ridiculous fake show about not going down without a fight.” Chloe huffed. 

Adrien was surprised to hear that Marinette had been happy he was banned from school. He thought they were friends now but maybe he was wrong. Could it be she didn’t like him at all? He looked around. She hadn't been one of the people to great him back. They got through the front doors and he turned left, bumping into someone with his forehead.   
He raised a hand to his head, rubbing at the light pain. He peaked at the ground where Marinette was picking herself off the floor, being supported by Alya. Adrien offered a hand to help her up which she took hesitantly. Was Chloe right? Was she just pretending to be his friend? Why would she do that?

“Speak of the devil.” Chloe crossed her arms, looking angry. 

Marinette returned Chloe’s glare. “I only see one devil here.” She muttered under her breath. It had probably been meant just for Alya’s ears who smiled at her friend but Adrien had exceptional hearing. 

“Glad to see you’re allowed out of the house again.” Marinette smiled at him kindly. There was no way that was fake… was there?

“Pu-lease.” Chloe hand gestured. “You were relieved to see him gone.”

Marinette looked shocked. “What?” Her voice went up a notch at the end. 

“What do you have against Adrien? Does your bad taste really go that far?”

To Adrien’s surprise, Alya laughed. “You’re joking right? Marinette’s the one who went hunting for the book and found it! She brought it back to Adrien’s dad.” Alya rolled her eyes and Marinette blushed. 

“Is that true?” Adrien asked her, taking a step closer. 

“I- well…” Marinette looked away, her face getting even redder. 

Adrien hugged her. “You’re such a great friend.” He didn't know how the misunderstanding with Chloe could have happened but those two never got along it was hardly surprising. This made way more sense. Of course Marinette was his friend and of course she would have found a way to solve his problem. That was just like her. 

“Ugh. Whatever. Let’s get to class.” Chloe pulled on the back of his shirt and he let Marinette go to get back to class. He still had his friends. They had his back and he was getting closer with his dad. It really was a great day.

*****

“Did Adrien really just hug me?” Marinette turned to Alya when Adrien and Chloe were out of sight. Her eyes shining and her hands clutched close to her chest. She felt like dancing. 

Alya giggled. “I guess this means you’ll forgive me for spilling the beans.” 

Marinette smiled at her friend. She had told Alya that she had found the book and returned it and had omitted the whole stealing it thing. Was it still stealing if she retrieved it from a trash bin though? She hadn't wanted Adrien to find out anything about it but since it had resulted in a wonderful hug she could hardly be mad. “One hundred per cent forgiven.” She practically floated to class. 

What an emotional roller coaster the previous day had been. From being jealous of Lila and Adrien, to seeing him, or an illusion she thought was him, dangling from the Eiffel tower, seconds from his death and then later discovering that he may be Hawk Moth to then thinking it was his father only for both theories to be disproven to her great relief. Marinette let out a slow breath, calming herself before entering the classroom. She got to her seat at a normal pace but there was no whipping the smile off her face. Everything had turned out fine in the end.   
Marinette leaned on her hand and smiled at Adrien sitting in front of her. He had quite the rollercoaster of a day as well. What with Volpina trying to bully him into a relationship. He must have hidden away in that huge bathroom of his. That’s what a sensible person would do if superheroes where fighting in their bedroom. She hadn’t even bothered to give the bathroom a thorough look. But she stood by her decision. If it wasn’t an illusion she couldn’t afford to waste time searching for someone who may not be there. It was a good thing Cat Noir had seen right through the illusion. She had nearly given up her miraculous for nothing. Marinette shook herself. She didn’t want to go down that train of thought. What if it had been real? She eyed Adrien again who was smiling, his attention on Nino. A world without this wonderful boy was one she didn’t want to imagine. Her being the reason was a nightmare she hoped to never face. Thank goodness Cat Noir had been right. There would have been another way though. Marinette thought back. The illusion Adrien was dangling above them. She would have caught him. Cat Noir could have chased Volpina. Why hadn’t she thought of it earlier? 

Marinette groaned, gaining her a questioning look from Alya. Right, she had been over the moon just moments ago. Marinette smiled back and focused on the tablet in front of her. Class hadn’t started yet but it would give her an excuse not to discuss her thoughts right now. 

Next time, she wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. She couldn’t afford to.   
A realization she probably should have had earlier. She should have been honest from the get-go with Master Fu. Adrien was her blind spot when it came to her Ladybug. She had been so worried about him being Hawk Moth. What a ridiculous idea to even begin with. How could she have been so worried? She had been blind once again to the point that Tikki had needed to point out the implications of the book belonging to Adrien’s father. Thankfully that had quickly been disproven by Gabriel Agreste being akumatized into the Collector. Thankfully for Adrien anyway. If only they could truly find out who the supervillain was… Her asking Gabriel Agreste about it hadn’t told her much. It had been overseas. Great. Hawk Moth could be anybody. 

“Alright class, let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.” The teacher caught her attention as the bell rang. 

Marinette looked up, she hadn’t noticed Lila all day… actually, the last time she had seen her had been on top of the Eiffel tower…

“You ok?” Alya asked her in a hushed voice. 

“Where’s Lila?” Marinette asked, still looking around.

“Oh, she’s moved again. Traveling abroad with her parents. Apparently, they were concerned with how unsafe Paris is, what with the most recent akuma attack. Did you know that Lila played a role in helping Ladybug? She told us all about it yesterday before needing to leave.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. Right, such a huge help, not at all the villain. At least she was gone. How fortunate that Ladybug had been otherwise occupied to set that girl straight. Apparently she was a bigger liar than she thought. Marinette took a deep breath. No matter, she was gone now and so were her lies. 

“Still jealous?” Alya teased, misreading her reaction. 

Marinette smiled. “Of course not.” There was nothing to be jealous about. 

*****  
Like all of Hawk Moth’s victims, Gabriel retained no memory of the events of his akumatization and his assistant Nathalie had been collected too soon to be of any help. His son had walked out of the bathroom right after Ladybug and Cat Noir had ran off, where he had been hiding; a second positive from the day. His son had heard the whole thing and had said a few things that helped fill in the blanks. He hadn’t been eager to talk about it and had been hesitant to hug him. Gabriel must have scared his son quite a bit as the Collector but it had been necessary. He had managed to quickly fix that snag today. His son had given him an earnest hug after he told him he could go back to school. He also cancelled Adrien’s training with him. He had observed his son a few evenings under the guise of showing him how the company was to be run when he was gone and he hadn’t noticed anything off about his son, he was still the overly dramatic boy he had always been and he hadn't seen any hints of a kwami. Besides, today further proved that his son most likely wasn't Cat Noir. With that out of the way and his secret being safer than ever, he had work to get back to.


	29. Prime Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during the episode before Alya's interview with Nadia.

“When did that happen!?” Cat Noir stared at the image in shock. His first instinct was that it must have been photoshopped. He would definitely have remembered Ladybug kissing him.

“I was saving you not kissing you.”

It took a few seconds for that to register in his mind. Wait so this had happened? For real? Ladybug kissed him. Ladybug KISSED him. His heart was pounding. 

The memory resurfaced once the akuma attack had ended. Adrien had quickly gone home and immediately made his way to his laptop. 

“Come on ladyblog don’t let me down.” He murmured to himself as he pulled up the website. Plagg was eating his cheese as per usual. 

“Ladyblog? Something happen today?”

“Not today. But something definitely did at some point.” He answered vaguely which was good enough for Plagg. A bit of browsing later and he found the picture on a recent piece Alya had done on Cat Noir and Ladybug’s relationship. 

“What! When did that happen?!” Plagg nearly spit out his food. Nearly. He was instantly next to Adrien, eyes on the screen. 

“That’s what I said.” Adrien gave a weak smile as he scrolled reading the story. “Apparently last Valentine’s day. It must have been during that blank out period.”

Plagg burst out laughing. “So you’re telling me that the love of your life kissed you and you don’t remember it?” He laughed again. 

Adrien glared at him before starring back at the image. “I was saving you not kissing you.” Her words echoed in his head again. So the kiss hadn’t meant anything. It was just necessary to save him. He recalled what she had said after that incident as well. That was the kiss she was talking about. She hadn’t kissed somebody else. She had kissed him! Adrien smiled brightly at the thought. The idea of Ladybug kissing someone else had driven him nuts. 

“We’re in love.” She had been playing along with the reporter’s wants when she had said it. He knew that. But hearing her say it while gently holding his hand... His heart had stopped and started up in double speed. His mind hadn’t had time to fully process what she had said. The car had jolted causing Ladybug to be pressed up against him.   
He had purred. Adrien covered his face with his hands feeling the full brunt of the embarrassment. He hadn’t known that was even a thing he could do! He had felt so strongly back in that moment that she had to have meant at least part of what she had said. But then he had been denied a kiss. Twice. That had helped him put things back into a focus. 

It was so unfair that he couldn’t remember his first kiss! One day they would kiss again though. If ever they could just talk while not saving the city or being watched by thousands of people. He could get the real story. If only she would accept to spend time with him outside of their bizarre work. 

Before the akuma attack, he had asked for just that. She had let him hop alongside her as he made suggestions for a date. He had been encouraged that she might return some of his feelings by the photos Nadia had pulled up. Ladybug had been adamant about them not being a couple. He had said hopefully one day and was surprised by her eagerness for him to hush. He had no problem being truthful. He really did hope that one day they would become a couple. But obviously there was a lot of work to do in that department. 

Adrien sighed. Maybe he needed to go bigger. Really go all out and surprise her with a romantic evening. It would be getting her to come that would be tricky. Next time he should just set up a time and place and tell her he’d be waiting. They never had time for anything else. He should just get straight to the point. Determined, he started to form a plan. He had just the romantic idea in mind that would be puuuurfect.

*****

Marinette couldn’t thank Alya enough. She was eager to make due on her promise of an interview with Ladybug. The next morning, Ladybug made an appearance at Alya’s. 

As expected, Alya’s eyes went wide. “Ladybug!”

“I think I promised you an interview.”

“How did you know where I lived?”

Ladybug internally cursed. “You told me after our last interview remember?” It was a lie but hopefully Alya couldn't remember that day well enough to recall. 

“Let me get my camera!” 

Ladybug giggled as she moved to the couch. She was kind of surprised that the rest of Alya’s family wasn’t here but she wasn’t supposed to know that either. 

Alya ran back with her camera and tripod. “Thanks for saving me yesterday by the way.” 

Ladybug was surprised by the tone. Alya had sounded excited by the events. It looked like she had been shaken up by the whole thing after all. 

“How are you feeling?”

Alya’s face faltered for a second letting Ladybug bug know just how much the event must have affected her. “I’m fine. When you deevilized the akuma I was returned to where I was which was good because I was taking care of this kid at the time…”

Ladybug wanted to facepalm. She hadn't even realized that Manon must have been left on her own for a little while. Prime queen must have reached through the TV to grab her and left her own daughter unsupervised. It just went to show how out of it the akumatized victims were. 

“So mind if we get started?” Alya started recording and settled down across from her. “Hello bugfans! I’m here with an exclusive interview with our one and only Ladybug. Ladybug, everyone saw you and Cat Noir on TV the other day and then the broadcasting of you guys saving Paris once again. Want to explain to your fans what went wrong there?”

“We were invited on the pretext that we would get to reassure Paris that we’re still working hard on fighting off Hawk Moth. We were blind sighted by the real intention of getting a scoop.”

“So does that mean we can assume that your confession yesterday was for show?”

Ladybug blushed. “Yes. I gave Prime Queen what she wanted so she would stop the train.” 

“So you and Cat Noir aren’t a couple?”

“No. I honestly don’t know why people think that.”

“Well, you have to admit that you guys seem really comfortable around each other. It comes across as playful flirting.”

“Don’t let that fool you though. We are both very determined to defeat Hawk Moth and make Paris safe again. Nothing will distract us from that goal.” Marinette was glad to have successfully moved the discussion her way. This would set things straight.   
She would have to talk to Cat Noir about his encouraging the public’s perception of them. That cat had the weirdest sense of humour… Usually, she could just let his over flirtiness just roll off her shoulders but he had gone too far this time. It was one thing when it was just the two of them, but keeping it up in front of all of Paris, it had been embarrassing. They had a reputation of professionalism to uphold. Well she did anyway. And then he had kept trying to kiss her. Marinette was irritated. That cat flirted with everyone and it had gotten old enough with her. It was time she told him outright to stop messing around like that about her. 

“I think I can speak for all of Paris when I say keep up the good work.” Alya smiled at her. “So you said in your interview the other day about how that kiss, now trending online, was about you saving Cat Noir. Care to elaborate?”

Ladybug giggled. Of course her friend would want the scoop on that topic. Might as well set that strait as well. “Do you remember last valentine’s day?” She started. This was so much easier when the interviewer genuinely wanted a truthful answer. “Cat Noir had been under Dark cupid’s control. The kiss was to break that control and it had worked.”

“So there really was nothing romantic about it?”

Ladybug thought back to that day. It had been her first and only kiss and she had felt something… but she was certain that her first real kiss would be a thousand times better if her almost kiss with Adrien was anything to go by…   
“No. Sorry to disappoint.” Ladybug smiled. Her reputation was safe again. “Although why people were so enamoured by that idea I’ll never know.”

“Hmmm.” Alya gave her a far too familiar look. It was the one she used when she knew something but would let it drop. “So how do you manage to have the energy to put up with akuma attack after akuma attack? Your real life must suffer for it.”

Ladybug had to hand it to her friend, she knew how to read a situation and stir an interview in the right direction. “It can be exhausting sometimes for sure but the knowledge that our actions keep Paris safe is fuel enough. That and the hope that one day we’ll discover who Hawk Moth is and put an end to his attacks for good.”

“Maybe we should get him in for a scoop.” Alya joked. Ladybug joined in. Somehow, she couldn’t picture Hawk Moth posed and calm for an interview. 

"My point is, Paris has nothing to fear. We'll get him." One day. Ladybug was certain of it.


	30. Gigantitan

Adrien leaned against the headrest in the car. Marinette seemed odd today, odder than usual. He had no idea what she had been trying to say. He hoped she was ok.   
Adrien let out a slow breath. He was exhausted after the day he just had. Not only was his modelling job tiring, but the unexpected babysitting had also been hard work. He had been surprised when Hawk Moth had akumatized Manon but a baby? A baby?! Thankfully he hadn’t been hurt but what had Hawk Moth seriously hoped to accomplish with Gigantitan? At least it was nice to see his lady again. It had been a little while. And she had giggled, actually giggled, at his suggestion to serenade her. She was warming up to him it was clear. He hadn’t had the time to invite her for his big romantic gesture what with his ring on the last paw pad but the next time he saw her, he would ask her. No excessive puns or flirting, just a genuine question and a romantic setting. She would say yes, he could feel it. They would meet up on their rooftop, surrounded by candlelight. He would prepare the perfect picnic and tell her how much he cares for her and she would admit to the same and they would kiss and he would remember it. It was perfect. Now he just needed to wait for the opportunity to ask her and put his plan in motion.

*****

Marinette felt like an idiot. Had she really said she was going to take the coleslaw home? There wasn’t a hole big enough that could hide her from the embarrassment. Why hadn't she just said yes? Why did she always panic last minute like that? Marinette sighed. At least she had her friends with her. At least they could enjoy the ride on the rickshaw. 

“I think you bit off more than you could chew with asking him out.” Alya said. “Why don’t I set up a double date instead with Nino and Adrien.”

Marinette squealed and gave her best friend a hug. “That would be perfect!”

“How about Friday evening, I think the boys will be available then. We can all get some sweetheart ice cream.”

“Oh! Can Ivan and I join you?” Milaine asked. “It’s the first place Ivan told me he loved me.” She said dreamily. 

“Of course!” Marinette smiled. “The more the merrier.” She could already imagine her and Adrien sharing an ice-cream and falling in love over it. She knew her parent’s love story involving André’s ice cream by heart. André’s magic ice cream would do the trick! It was a perfect, not so complicated plan. Which she would no doubt mess up again, but it was worth the try. 

“Speaking or ice cream, you guys won’t believe what I saw!” Alix piped up before sharing the story of how Cat Noir had crashed into André’s Ice cream cart and then cataclysmed an ice cream cone. Marinette laughed, that sure sounded like her kitty. So that’s where he had been. It was a good thing her friends had been around otherwise she would have been covered in baby slob. She wished she could tell them how grateful she was for that. 

“Did you see anything exciting Marinette?” Rose asked. 

“We got to see Alya distract the akuma victim with her awesome cycling skills.” Milaine smiled. 

“Really?” Marinette smiled at the opportunity to say something. “That was brave of you!”

“Well it was that or Ladybug would have been baby food. Who would have thought that a baby would make such a troublesome villain? Now I have something awesome for my ladyblog!” Alya pulled out her phone. “Check it out!” 

Marinette took a look. Her friend had managed to grab a few pictures of the supervillain including when he had brought down the Eiffel Tower. 

“Cool action shot!” Alix complimented. 

Marinette frowned at the picture. That playpen idea had been insane. She should have just listened to Cat Noir and used her lucky charm in the first place. It was a good reminder that although he usually let her take the lead on things that she really should hear him out more often. They were a team of equals after all. Lesson learned, twofold. No more overly elaborate ideas. Best to keep them simple in the future. It was a good thing she had Alya to help her do just that.


	31. Glaciator

Marinette felt like the worst human on earth. She had felt a little bit better after having made things right with André and seeing him back to being his cheerful self. She had also apologized to her friends who had been quick to forgive her. So why was she still feeling heavy-hearted? She looked at her ice cream. Green eyes and pink lips. She didn't know how André could possibly know that it fit the description of the boy she liked to a T but it also fit someone else…   
Her heart felt heavy again at the thought of how she had disappointed Cat Noir. She had no idea he really loved her. She had never seen him so sincere as that night on her balcony and so it had been painful to tell him about how she had a crush on someone else. He had taken the news a lot better than she would have if Adrien had told her that he didn’t like her that way. Why was she holding out for someone who was so busy that they couldn’t even hang out as friends? Cat Noir was sweet, reliable, funny… Yes she admitted that his jokes weren’t that bad and made her laugh sometimes. If it wasn’t for her heart stubbornly pulling her completely towards Adrien, that night on the rooftop may have gone very differently. She was increasingly convinced that she had him pegged all wrong and saw their past interactions in a new light. She had been so harsh with him, thinking that he was just messing around. The guilt flooded her. 

She’d be lying if she said the revelation didn’t impact her feelings towards him. Her heart had fluttered a little when he had stood close to her. She thought he was going to kiss her but instead, he had gracefully accepted her friendship, kissed her on her cheek and had disappeared. Her face had felt hot and she had been left confused alone on the rooftop. She had kept the flower he had given her but in her heart, she knew she couldn't offer Cat Noir more than friendship. Not when her heart was dedicated to someone else even if she did feel a little something for him. It wouldn't be fair to Cat Noir.   
Marinette gave a sigh. She wanted to be mad at him for confusing her heart even a little but she couldn’t. She could only feel bad for having hurt him. She was nervous about seeing him again next time Paris was in need. She hoped there wouldn’t be an akuma attack any time soon. She needed to get her emotions in check. 

*****  
It seemed like Adrien was surrounded by heartache. His own chances at love were dashed for the moment but he was more curious about who Ladybug liked. The way she had sounded talking about the boy… it sounded pained as though it wasn’t a sure thing for her either. Maybe he wasn’t the only one on a one-sided love. There was hope for him yet.   
He had appreciated her being honest with him and taking him seriously at least. He didn’t deserve it after the way he had gotten angry with her. She had never said she would show up as Plagg had pointed out. But she had forgiven him and so at least he had her friendship and if André’s ice cream was anything to go by, that precious friendship could become true love. Plagg could gag all he wanted. Adrien could be patient. Ladybug had shown up in the end after all. 

And then there was Marinette. She had looked just as dejected as he had felt when he had noticed her after his big waste of a romantic gesture. He couldn’t just show up as Adrien and be there as her friend so he had interacted with her as Cat Noir. He sure had been glad to have a friend to talk to about his own troubles. Something he had never done before about his Cat Noir related issues.   
He had been surprised to hear about her own broken heart. He hadn’t known that she liked a boy. He was surprised that whoever she liked had disappointed her. Marinette was an amazing girl after all. At least he had managed to cheer her up a bit and get her to safety. It was lucky that he had been with her when Glaciator had shown up. He wondered what she had done to André to cause him to get akumatized. 

When he got to school on Monday, he kept his eyes out for her, she seemed to be doing better. She was smiling but it wasn’t quite reaching her eyes the way it usually did. But then again he hadn’t known about her heartache in the first place. 

“Nino, does Marinette seem a little down to you?” He asked his best friend. 

“Uh… I guess so, yeah. I mean No.” Nino seemed uncomfortable with the question. 

Adrien rolled his eyes. Nino could be so out of touch with women sometimes. “Your girlfriend is her best friend. She would know.” He made to walk over to Alya who was behind them, walking to class just as they were. 

“No. Don’t do that.” Nino pulled him back. 

“You know something.” Adrien accused. “Marinette is my friend too you know.”

“Marinette is embarrassed by… something…and just doesn’t want people to know. She wouldn’t tell Ivan either and I only know because of Alya.”

Fine. He didn't need Nino to confirm what he already knew anyway. “We should cheer her up.” He got to his point. 

“Uh yeah, great idea!” Nino was either on board or simply eager to change the subject. 

“Any ideas?”

“Let’s ask Alya. She’ll know what to do.” Nino waved Alya over who gave him a quick kiss. Adrien repressed the small amount of jealousy he felt for his friend’s happiness. 

“Adrien noticed that Marinette seems a little down and was suggesting we cheer her up.” He was smiling proudly at her. 

“Oh! I have just the idea! Meet me at the entrance after school.” Alya walked back to class with a spring in her step. Nino and Adrien shrugged and followed. When the day had ended they met up with Alya outside the school. 

“So what’s this big plan?” Nino asked. 

“Elegant in its simplicity. We’re going to hang out the four of us.” Alya proclaimed proudly. 

Adrien blinked. Would that really be enough? 

“Sounds good, where to?” Nino asked, looking back at the school entrance, waiting for Marinette to show up. 

“There’s that new speciality hot dog stand near la Seine that I know she’ll love.” Alya waved Marinette over once they saw her. “But first, you’re absolutely certain that you can hang out right Adrien?” She asked him. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” 

Alya seemed less than impressed with his answer. “Your dad won’t call or anything?”

Right, he’d cancelled on them on Friday because of his dad. “Nope, not today.”

“Good.” Alya stopped giving him the stink eye. “Hey girl! We’re going to try that new hot dog stand, wanna join us?”

“Su-sure. Sounds fun.” Marinette smiled at them. 

Adrien smiled back and set himself next to her as Nino and Alya led the way. She seemed a lot better than even that morning. “So… you had a crazy weekend. I hear Glaciator was searching Paris for you.”

Marinette blushed. “Yeah, that’s a long story.” She looked away. Adrien cursed himself, what a horrible topic of conversation, reminding her that she had caused an akuma attack and no doubt about whatever else had happened that day. 

“I tried his ice cream for the first time this Sunday, since I had missed out Friday night.” Adrien attempted a different tactic. 

Marinette looked at him surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s something else isn’t it.” Although it hadn’t been magical. He had no doubt that his ice cream represented Ladybug, the ice cream maker had gotten that perfectly. But he had heard that eating André’s ice cream could make your loved one show up. It had been a full day and he hadn’t seen Ladybug since their rooftop talk. 

“It was really tasty.” Marinette agreed, she looked worried about something. He was doing a really poor job of cheering her up. He had managed it the other night as Cat Noir so why was he so bad at it now? Of course, Marinette had opened up and spoken to Cat Noir in a way she never did with him as a civilian. 

“So your dad’s going to come in an give us another cooking lesson next week.“ Adrien attempted to break the awkward silence. 

Marinette lit up with pride. “Yeah, he’s going to show us how to make macaroons.”

Adrien’s mouth was watering already, remembering the croissants of last time. “Like the ones you brought to class?” 

Marinette nodded. 

“You’re so lucky.” Adrien sighed. “To have him as your dad I mean.” He quickly recovered himself. What he would do to have his family back to what it was before. To have a father that would come to his school and probably have dinner with him. 

“Yeah, he’s really great. I mean, so is yours! The best designer in Paris, and uh….” Marinette looked around in panic. Adrien couldn’t help himself, he laughed. That summed up his dad. The best designer in Paris, nothing else. 

“It’s ok.” He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled brightly at him. He wasn’t sure how it had happened but she looked cheered up. Maybe she had just needed something to get her mind off whatever boy had hurt her. 

*****

Marinette didn’t even know which speciality hot dog she had ordered, her mind was still too focused on the fact that Adrien was here, with her and their friends and had touched her shoulder. Alya shot her a knowing look as they overlooked the canal and Marinette mouthed a thank you in her direction. Her friend shrugged it off as if it was nothing. But it meant a huge deal to her. It wasn’t ice cream but it was time together nonetheless. All her weekend blues were now forgotten. 

Marinette happily took another bite of the questionable hot dog. Was that kimchi on the top? 

“It wasn’t just me you know.” Alya caught her off guard. Marinette looked up. The boys were getting seconds. “Adrien wanted to cheer you up. Apparently, someone noticed you were feeling a little down in the dumps.” Her friend nudged her. 

“Really?” Marinette stood straighter, looking back in Adrien’s direction who was gleefully eating a hot dog with nachos on it. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn’t think he noticed much about her. How could he when she was most of the time a huge disaster around him? But somehow he had known and more importantly, he wanted to do something for her. Marinette would have done a happy dance if he weren’t so close. 

“Continue keeping it cool girl. You’ve got this.” Alya winked. 

How was she supposed to keep it cool now!?

“Ewww mac and cheese? On a hot dog?” Alya protested Nino’s choice as the guys got closer. 

“Don't dis what you haven’t tried. Here.” Nino passed her his meal so she could have a bite. 

Alya looked at him defiantly as she took a bite. But the disgust quickly gave way to a look of surprise. 

“Right!” Nino made to grab it back. 

“You were right. This is amazing.” Alya turned from him and grabbed another bite. 

“Hey, it’s still mine!” Nino protested he faced her again to swipe it only for her to pull it back. 

Marinette laughed and gave a sigh. She wanted that. She wanted someone to just be herself around and be goofy with but also close and supportive like those two. She eyed Adrien who was also smiling at the couple. One day. She just had to keep believing it was possible.


	32. Despair Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a very short akuma attack, both our heroes face realities they aren't sure how to handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: For those following the story, sorry for the long hiatus.

Adrien walked away, finishing the macaroon Marinette had made. She really was a good chef. She could continue in her father’s footsteps if she decided not to pursue fashion. 

“Ugh someone get this off me!” Chloe had apparently gotten a bowl on her head and was scolding a very pleased looking Ivan. He must have put it there as a joke or something. Marinette’s dad was quick to remove it. Adrien smiled at her antics. He knew that deep down she was a nice person. She had helped him and Ladybug get the akuma after all and made up for calling the police earlier that day. She just had to learn to rein it in sometimes. 

Nino walked over to him, enjoying his own macaroons. “Crazy day right?” He laughed. “That’s got to be a record for fastest time taking care of an akuma.” 

Adrien agreed. He had blanked out while under the bear’s control but he knew that Ladybug, and surprisingly Chloe, had been efficient despite him having embarrassingly having made Ladybug’s job that much harder while he wasn’t in control. He hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with Ladybug about it and she was gone now. It was a shame she had to use her lucky charm and that at some point he had used his cataclysm. Cat Noir shivered at the thought of what that might have meant. Maybe if they hadn’t used their powers, she could have stayed and they could have danced as well. He smiled at the memory of their dance the month before for Nino’s competition. It had been more upbeat and so they hadn't slow danced as he had with Marinette but one day... Adrien smiled at the daydream. 

“Oh ho. I think I know that look.” Nino poked him in the arm. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were thinking about a special someone just now.”

Adrien blushed. 

“But who could it be?” Nino stroked his chin pensively. Adrien got worried. He didn’t want to admit about his crush on Ladybug. Nino wouldn’t understand it since he couldn't know that he was actually Cat Noir. “Maybe Marinette? You guys looked cosy during that slow dance.”

Adrien chuckled. “We were just dancing. And you can thank your girlfriend for making it cosy.” He accused. Alya had made things awkward for a second but he had shrugged it off which had put Marinette at ease. He had taken many classes and he and Chloe use to dance all the time so it didn’t feel weird to him. Friends danced together all the time. 

Nino laughed, rubbing his neck. “Yeah, she loves to dance.” He looked over at Alya who was helping Marinette clean up her fallen macaroons. Adrien should have thought about helping her. He had been the one that had startled her into dropping them in the first place after all. “So if not Marinette…” Nino had gone back to guessing his crush. “Oh man. It isn't Chloe is it?” He whispered. 

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh at the utter look of horror on Nino’s face. “No.” He answered simply. She was still his friend but he couldn’t imagine anything else with Chloe. 

Nino looked around, obviously still trying to figure out who he liked. Good luck with that, Adrien thought to himself, she only shows up when there’s danger around.

Adrien put an arm around his friend, guiding him over to the snack bar. That should be enough to distract him.

*****

“You look way too happy for someone who just spilt desert everywhere.” Alya smiled at Marinette as she helped pick up the rogue macaroons. 

Marinette laughed as she snuck a few in her purse for Tikki. “Adrien said I was a good cook and a good dancer.” She explained. 

“Guess that also explains how this mess came to be. You’re always ten times clumsier around him. I’m surprised you didn’t trip over your feet while you guys were dancing.”

“Would be hard to with how close he was holding me thanks to the best wing women ever.” Marinette winked at Alya who giggled. 

“I’ve got your back girl.” They finished picking up all the desert and threw it in the trash. “It’s a shame that akuma attack cut it short. Where did you guys disappear to anyway?”

“Oh I had to use the bathroom. Too much orange juice.” Marinette giggled. 

“Good thing your small bladder didn’t kick in during the slow dance.” Alya teased. “I wonder where Adrien went.”

“He said there was something he had to do.”

“You two always miss the excitement.” Alya laughed, guiding Marinette to the snack bar.

“I guess we’re just lucky.” 

“Lucky? You missed the best thing ever! Chloe was being flung around like a doll by Kim. It was great!” She proceeded to pull out her phone. “I didn’t get any footage though. It all happened so fast!” She was going through her pictures, there were two fuzzy ones of Ladybug and Cat Noir fighting but you could barely tell it was them. “Nino says the bear got to me and I attacked Ladybug. Can you believe it!” She looked horrified. 

“I’m sure Ladybug doesn't hold it against you.” She knew it for a fact actually. 

“And then Cat Noir got under the bear’s control and nearly cataclysmed Ladybug! If Chloe hadn’t-“

“What?” Adrien let out. Marinette wiped around. How long had he been nearby? 

“Did you miss it?” Nino asked, mouth full of sweets. 

“Don’t worry Adrien, I was there to save the day!” Chloe appeared. “Cat Noir’s hand was inches from Ladybug’s face but I bravely pulled him out of the way. I basically saved her life and the day!” She laughed. 

Marinette couldn’t even be mad at her bragging. The girl had saved her life and had truthfully been a big help. 

“That’s terrifying.” Adrien looked astonished, actually, he looked almost sick. “I have to go. Be back soon.” He practically ran out of the room. 

Looking offended, Chloe stormed off. Same old Chloe… even if she did prove she was capable of being nice. 

Marinette shared a worried look with Alya. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Nino exited the same way Adrien had left. 

*****  
Adrien ran the second he was out of the room and found a place to transform. He needed to contact Ladybug. He knew the odds where slim that she would be transformed so soon after an attack but he couldn’t bear the thought that he had nearly hurt her again. He got her voicemail as he had suspected he would but he was still disappointed.   
“Hey Ladybug…” He started but how could he say all that he was feeling… “I uh, I heard about what happened while I was... out of it.” He continued. “The thought of almost hurting you…” No, too strong. “I’m just glad you’re ok.” He hung up not too sure what else to say. Today had been the first time he had seen Ladybug since the rooftop. Not only had they barely spoken with each other, but he had also tried to kill her. He groaned and transformed back into Adrien. 

“Can we get back to the party now, I need more cheese.” Plagg complained. 

“How could she have acted so casually after what happened?” Adrien wondered out loud. It wasn't the first time this had happened either. He had nearly cataclysmed her when he was under Dark Cupid’s control too. She had been relatively calm about the whole ordeal that time as well. 

The nearby door opened “Adrien?” 

Shoot it was Nino, he hadn't come up with an excuse yet. 

“Hey Nino.” Adrien plastered a smile on his face. 

“You ok dude?” 

“Yeah, too many macaroons, I have a bit of a stomach ache. I think I’ll just head home early. Say bye to the girls for me ok?” He asked, passing by his friend through the door. 

“Yeah sure thing bro.” Nino looked at him with concern. 

“I’m fine really. Just feeling a little sick.” Sick to his stomach but not because of macaroons. 

Nino nodded and accompanied him to the front door where the Gorilla was waiting. Once in the car, he let the smile go. It had been a nice evening but he couldn’t imagine going back to the party knowing what he knew now. A part of him recognized that it wasn’t his fault but he couldn’t help feeling sick to his stomach at the thought of his lady suffering because of him. He had to remind himself that Ladybug was ok and that no one else had been injured. Once home, he transformed into Cat Noir again. No message. As with everything involving his lady, he would just have to be patient. He transformed back and gave Plagg some cheese before collapsing in his chair.

“Cheer up would you, everything’s fine after all.” Plagg complained after eating the piece of cheese whole. 

He had been almost eagerly awaiting the next akuma attack just to see Ladybug again. He hadn’t been heartbroken by her initial rejection but he loved being around her and it had been a while since the Glaciator attack. He just wanted to talk with her. Be with her, laugh with her, kiss her… Adrien groaned into his hands. He had it bad. 

“We’re going out Plagg.” Adrien stood up determining. It was a long shot but Ladybug had shown up when he needed her in the past. “Claws out!” He was practically out the window before his transformation had fully completed.   
*****  
Marinette couldn’t fall asleep; she was far too giddy from the day's events to lay still. She was at work at her sewing machine making Adrien a birthday gift. Sure his birthday wasn’t for another 8 months but she felt inspired. Only now she was nearly done and still nowhere near tired. Maybe she would work on his 16th birthday gift as well… Her thoughts were interrupted by Tikki’s snore. Marinette giggled, her kwami was adorable sometimes. She had talked her ear off after getting home from the party about how amazing dancing with Adrien had been and how he had complimented her. Tikki, who had witnessed everything first hand had simply nodded and smiled as she had slowly drifted off to sleep. Maybe she could make Tikki a birthday gift… did kwamis have birthdays? She’d have to ask. Or maybe something to celebrate their first year as a team. That was coming up too. The thought reminded her of her other partner. Should she make something for Cat Noir or would that be weird? She didn’t want to send mixed messages but she did really appreciate all he did. Things felt awkward between them. They hadn’t spoken since the rooftop. Since he had declared his feelings to her without knowing it and then setting up that romantic rooftop. Her previous opinion of him had basically been smashed to pieces and now she was reshaping it. She had been glad it had been a short attack and that they hadn’t had time to talk too much. She felt too confused about him to talk yet. 

Marinette finished the final touches on Adrien’s gift but was losing her earlier motivation. Stupid cat. Infiltrating her thoughts and stuff. He seemed ok today for the brief amount of time they had seen each other. She had wondered how he was taking her rejection. He had seemed fine on the rooftop but if she had been rejected by Adrien… let’s just say she wouldn’t have handled it very well. Marinette got up from her desk and carefully folded the sweater she had just finished making for Adrien. Would she confess to him by the time she would give him this gift? Or would she still be pinning from afar, getting nowhere? Her fear of rejection kept stopping her from taking the chance. Any relationship with Adrien was better than a rejection. Maybe that’s what Cat Noir thought about her. They could still be friends, right? Despite knowing what she now knew. She couldn’t let this awkwardness she felt with Cat Noir continue. There had to be a way to still get along. 

“Tikki.” Marinette whispered near the kwami. No reaction. “Tikki.” Marinette whispered more loudly. Her kwami flipped over, still clearly deep in sleep. Marinette frowned. What would happen if… “Tikki, spots on!” A still very much asleep Tikki got absorbed into her earrings. Marinette hoped that either her kwami could still sleep or at least wasn’t too confused or angry with her. Ladybug made her way to the trapdoor but paused on seeing her yoyo blink. She paused and checked her messages. “Hey Ladybug…” She smiled at Cat Noir’s uncertain voice. “I uh, I heard about what happened while I was... out of it. The thought of almost hurting you…” Ladybug stood still in surprise. What was he talking about? “I’m just glad you’re ok.” The message ended. Ladybug slowly closed her yoyo. He had sounded so… sincere. And worried. She thought back to the fight with Cat Noir when he had been out of it to use his term. His cataclysm had nearly touched her face. It wasn’t the first time though. She thought back to the incident with Dark Cupid. They had spoken about it afterwards and although he had been surprised to hear about the incident he had never brought it up again and so she had assumed she had sufficiently reassured him. Only now, in his very concerned voicemail, he seemed very unreassured about this time. How had he even heard about the incident? Then again the room had been full of witnesses and probably more than one camera. Is that what Cat Noir did after attacks? Look it up online or perhaps he was just looking to fill in the blanks. Well, there was no need to blow it out of proportion. She was fine, he hadn’t hurt her at all during their fight and it hadn’t lasted that long. Ladybug exited through the trap door and was even more determined than before to find her kitty. She knew a few of his favourite spots after all. She wasn’t too surprised when she found him on their rooftop, leaning against the railing overlooking La Seine and the Notre-dame Cathedral looking very morose. He could be so dramatic sometimes she smiled fondly. 

“Hey Kitty Cat. I got your message.” She landed next to him with a smile. 

Cat Noir stood up straight so fast he may have jumped a bit. Ladybug giggled. 

Cat Noir looked away, a small frown on his face. “That’s twice now I’ve nearly-“

“No.” Ladybug cut him off. “That’s twice now you haven’t hurt me despite being under control.” 

“But if Chloe hadn’t pulled me away…”

“I would have let you go and pulled away in time.” She wasn’t as confident about that as she sounded but hopefully it would help him. “Look, it wasn’t you just like it isn’t the akuma victims we’re actually fighting. It’s all Hawk Moth.” 

Cat Noir sighed. “I know but… Ladybug what if one of these days he wins and Paris loses you?” He asked her intensely. “What if I lose you?” He finally looked at her. 

“Then we better make sure we win.” She stared back in determination. 

“I wish I had your confidence LB.” He smiled weakly at her. 

Ladybug laughed. 

“What’s so funny?” Cat Noir asked perplexed. 

“Remember our very first akuma?” Ladybug asked, leaning against the railing, smiling up at him. 

Cat Noir copied her relaxed position and smiled back. “Stoneheart?”

“Yeah, remember what you told me after I doubted being chosen as Ladybug?”  
Cat Noir smiled. “I remember that day.” He looked ahead as if the memory was replaying in front of him. “I told you that without us Paris wouldn’t make it and that we’d prove it to them.” He glanced at her sideways. “And then you went from your uncertainty to starring down the akuma Hawk Moth face with your now legendary confidence and told Paris that we’d do everything in our power to keep them safe.” 

Ladybug gave a small chuckle. “And we have.”

“I guess you’re right.” Cat Noir was looking down at the river below them but his spirits seemed lifted. They stood there side by side in comfortable silence listening to the water lick the canal walls below. “You know, I think that’s the moment I started falling in love with you. That and your insane convoluted brilliant plan.”

Ladybug froze, observing him in the corner of her eye. He hadn’t actually said that to her as Ladybug before. And yet he had said it in such a casual way, as if simply stating an interesting fact. He wasn’t even looking at her, he was just smiling at the view in front of him seemingly satisfied with not getting a reply. Maybe they could do this. Maybe they could still be friends despite his one-sided feelings. “We make a good team Cat Noir.” She turned slightly to face him better. 

He turned his head and smiled back at her. “The best. Have a good evening Ladybug. Thanks for the pep talk.” He quickly grabbed his baton and catapulted himself away. 

Ladybug smiled at his retreating form. She didn’t feel awkward about them anymore. And maybe she finally understood Cat Noir, the real one underneath his gusto persona, that little bit more.


	33. Troublemaker

“Alya!” Marinette smiled as she rushed towards her friend. “You’ll never believe what just happened!”

Alya starred at her wide-eyed. “Marinette where have you been? Are you ok?” She asked gently. Pulling her away from Nino. 

“Adrien just invited me to go watch one of his photo shoots.” Marinette said in a lower voice.

Alya blinked. “Ok hold up. What about yesterday … and the show…”

“Oh right, that.” Marinette looked away, rubbing nervously at her neck.

“Girl, how are you not freaking out?” Alya asked amazed, arms stretched out in disbelief. 

“It’s alright, I explained everything to Adrien.” She smiled. 

Alya stared at her, jaw agape. 

“Well not with the truth… I told him it was because of my love of fashion and he said he was happy to have me as a fan.” She said dreamily. 

Alya burst out laughing. “One day you’ll have to just tell him Marinette. But a photo shoot that’s awesome!”

“I know right! It’s going to be so great and I’ll get to see all those designs!” No matter what happened the rest of the day she didn’t care. The potential Adrien crisis had been averted. 

“So when’s the shoot?” Alya turned them around to head to class. 

Marinette blinked. “I don’t know. He didn’t say when it would be…” She had been so transfixed by how close he had been leaning and then how he had wrapped his arm around her. 

Alya laughed again. “Well let me know when you find out.” They walked back towards Nino and made their way to class. “So you were in the middle of all the action again this week. What happened after the camera got shut off?”

“I was kind of hiding the whole time to be honest but there was a lot of crashing sounds.” Marinette quickly made up.

“Bummer, I could have used an exclusive for the ladyblog.”  
“You’ll be around for another akuma attack before you know it Alya, they happen all the time.” Nino encouraged his girlfriend. 

Marinette was glad that this particular attack hadn’t been filmed. If it had there could have been footage of her without her mask and then her secret identity would be busted. It was bad enough that Cat Noir had nearly found out. Imagine if all of Paris had been watching! Master Fu probably wouldn't let her be Ladybug anymore. Although there had been a time at the very beginning where she had hoped for such a thing she couldn’t imagine no longer being Ladybug now. She had grown accustomed to her double life and she would miss Tikki and Cat Noir. She never thought the later would happen. She had always appreciated Cat Noir and enjoyed having him by her side but now, she had grown close to him in a way she hadn’t predicted could happen. He wasn’t just her awesome and yet arrogant and unserious partner. He was a tad bit sensitive and had shown her how serious he took their jobs as superheroes. Dare she say it she was growing fond her silly kitty. Not in a romantic way but she felt she trusted him even more now and no longer took his teasing and joking around as seriously as she had in the past. She had laughed and playfully teased him back after they had defeated Troublemaker yesterday. Not a single ounce of annoyance at his flirting, now knowing that there were some real feelings behind what he was saying. And despite her not returning those feelings he kept pursuing her in a respectful way. On some level, she respected that. She wished she had his calm somewhat elegant approach to wooing a person for Adrien. At least she was getting better and better at talking around him. That was a starting point. But she would never be Cat Noir level of suaveness. Marinette giggled earning a knowing look from Alya as they sat down in class. No, she would work her way towards confessing her feelings. One day. 

*****  
Adrien barely paid attention to the lesson. He was replaying the previous day’s events in his mind. It had been a close one. Ladybug had nearly lost her miraculous, one earing having almost been taken. He had imagined seeing her reveal her true identity to him a thousand times. They were always romantic declarations and he had never imagined that her secret might be revealed by force. He was ashamed that part of him had hoped for a glimpse. He hadn’t acted any slower though. He had quickly attacked Troublemaker and Ladybug had managed to retrieve her earing, carefully looking away from him. He hadn’t caught sight of her without her mask. But that didn’t stop him from teasing her a little. 

She hadn’t been fooled. “It’ll have to wait, at least until we kick trouble’s but and Hawk Moth.”

Adrien was more eager than ever to defeat Hawk Moth. He knew that the danger Hawk Moth presented was why Ladybug wanted to keep her identity secret but he hadn’t really stopped to think of what she might think after they defeated him. His hopes were high and he had been feeling particularly playful ever since. 

He had managed to tease Ladybug before they parted ways and her scarred face at the thought that he knew who she was had been priceless. Almost as much as Marinette’s when he had been joking about her lying to him. Adrien let out a small chuckle. She was hilarious when put on the spot. 

“Something you have to share Adrien?” The physic’s teacher said angrily. 

“No miss.” He sat up straighter as she continued her lesson.

He tried to erase the smile from his face as well but it was hard when the sound of Ladybug giggling and calling him a silly kitty was on his mind. She was doing that more and more often these days. In fact, ever since their rooftop talk, she hadn’t pushed him away or berated him for having flirted with her in the heat of battle. Maybe with time, she would fall for him after all. 

“Mr Agreste, are you even paying attention?”

Adrien snapped into a better posture again. “Yes miss.” 

“Care to repeat what I just said?”

“Schrodinger’s cat wasn’t an actual experiment it was just an illustration to describe the paradox of quantum mechanics being applied to everyday objects and furthering his point that quantum superposition can only be applied to subatomic particles.” He recalled quickly.

The teacher furrowed her brow as some students giggled but continued on with the lesson. 

“Like the paradox of you being in class on time.” Alya whispered to Marinette behind him, causing both girls to giggle. 

“That is enough!” The teacher whirled on them, causing both girls to go quiet.

Adrien felt bad, they probably wouldn’t have been yelled at if he hadn’t been daydreaming, causing the teacher to get angry. 

“I understand you had a very eventful weekend Marinette but don’t think that’ll stop me from sending you to the office.”

“Yes miss.” Marinette sunk in her chair. 

“More like an embarrassing weekend! If I were I her I wouldn’t even have come to class.” Chloe said loud enough for the class to hear, a few students laughed. Adrien looked behind to see Marinette cover her face. He felt bad for teasing her now. He should have realized everyone else would tease her about the show as well. 

“Settle down.” The teacher yelled, shooting daggers with her eyes. 

“What should Marinette be embarrassed about?” Alya stood up, a hand on her friend’s shoulder who had sunk even more in her chair. “Jagged stone complimenting her amazing talent? Or maybe how awesome her parents are? Or perhaps it was –“

“I said enough!” The room went quiet at the teacher’s outburst. She continued talking of the history of quantum mechanics and Adrien looked behind him to see Marinette starring intently at her tablet, her red face half covered by her hand. He shot Chloe a look and his friend looked away smiling. Once class was done, he caught Marinette’s arm before she could leave. He should have remembered how clumsy she was because he nearly caused her to fall down. He quickly let go after stabilizing her. “I just wanted to apologize for Chloe.”

“Oh, that’s ok. I’m used to her by now.” Marinette hugged her tablet closer to her chest, not quite looking him in the eye. 

“Well, I don’t think you have anything to be embarrassed about. How cool that Jagged was in your house! I’m a little jealous myself.”

Marinette gapped. “What? You? Jealous of me?” 

“Yeah, he’s my favourite signer after all.” Adrien gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Have a good evening Marinette.”

“Have a evening good you too.” Marinette waved at him. 

Adrien chuckled. He knew he probably shouldn’t laugh but it was cute, he couldn’t help himself. He nearly never laughed at her occasional awkwardness but he was on cloud nine. Thinking once again about what Ladybug had said and daydreaming about the day where they would defeat Hawk Moth. What a happy day that would be.


	34. Riposte

Marinette picked herself up of the floor. Tikki was right. Adrien valued her as a friend and that was a good start but ever since their slow dance she had begun to hope that he had feelings for her too. She wasn’t about to give up though. He liked her as a friend, that couldn't be too far off from falling in love, right?

Marinette transformed back into Ladybug and started to make her way back home using the rooftops.

Marinette was proud of how she handled today’s attack. Adrien had been involved again but she didn’t let that distract her. Well, nearly. He had saved her when he had pushed her out of the way and he had ended up on top of her. Her brain had fried up for a bit before she snapped back to the task at hand, which was getting Adrien to safety. She smiled at how she got to hold him close and carry him. But she hadn't let that distract her. Ok, so she had taken a second to kiss the sarcophagus she had hidden him in but that was it.

In insight, she felt silly for having closed him in the sarcophagus. She didn’t know he hated enclosed spaces. Why hadn't he said anything? Thankfully, it all worked out in the end. It was a good thing he had gotten out and hid somewhere else. And despite Cat Noir showing up late, they had swiftly taken care of things.   
She had been so relieved when he had showed up. She couldn’t really see how she would have managed without him. He was clearly the better fencer despite his apparent injury. She hoped his leg wasn’t hurt too badly. He had winced in pain a few times because of it. Perhaps that’s why he had showed up late.

Ladybug landed back in her room and transformed back. She had lots of missed texts from Alya who was wondering what had happened at the fencing class. She gave her friend a call.

“So did you get in?” Alya was quick to answer and get right to the juicy stuff.

“Class kind of got interrupted by this new girl who ended up becoming today’s akuma victim. She’s really good and will probably be the one to get in.” Marinette explained. No thanks to her. She should have abstained from giving the point when she hadn’t been sure. She had unwittingly caused the whole akuma attack today. “But I was paired with Adrien for practice!” Marinette returned to her conversation with Alya.

Her friend laughed. “That must have gone well.”

Surprisingly, it had. She had only stumbled over her words once. “I think he went easy on me. I was winning but then when I saw him fencing with the new girl, it was clear he had been holding back to give me a chance.” The match had been impressive. He was an even better fencer than Cat Noir.

“That sounds like Adrien. I’d like to talk more but Nino’s trying to get a hold of me. Talk more later ok?”

“Sure.” Marinette hung up, smiling at how much time she had gotten to spend with Adrien. She would focus on the bright side of the day instead of her disappointment in only being called his friend.

*****  
Adrien removed his shoe in the car. His ankle was fully healed now thanks to Ladybug’s lucky charm but it still felt a little stiff. Adrien sighed. He hadn't rolled properly when he had rushed to push Ladybug out of the way. But what was he supposed to do? Let Riposte slice her in two? Once again Adrien was annoyed at them not knowing their identities. If she had known, then he could have transformed earlier and Ladybug wouldn’t have to worry about hiding his alter ego… but then he would have missed out on her holding him close as she swung them to safety.   
But saving Paris was more important than that and if Ladybug had almost caught him transforming, the akuma could have as well and then Hawk Moth would know his secret. It seemed to him that there were risks to both sides of the issue. And of course he had another reason for wanting to know his lady’s identity.   
He had seen a slightly different side to her that day. She was always very job oriented and teasing with him as Cat Noir but when she had spoken to Adrien and Kagami, she had a calming, soothing voice showing how much she cared for the citizens of Paris. He had seen it before but there was something about being on the receiving end. She had clearly been bothered at not knowing about his claustrophobia and he had reached out, intending to sooth away the dread on her face. She had recovered herself however and he had changed the subject, quickly retracting his hand. For a second he had forgotten that he was Adrien and not Cat Noir. How would Ladybug have reacted to a boy she barely knew attempting to reassure her?

As much as he wished she could know who he was, the fact that she didn’t had offered a nice insight. She had complimented Cat Noir’s fencing, which had made his heart swell. She would probably never admit it to his alter ego. She had mentioned how his ego was large enough as it was without encouragement. But the compliment had him wondering what other positive things she thought about him without telling him. The thought gave him hope. 

The car stopped in front of his house and Nathalie was there to open his door. “A friend of yours is waiting for you inside.”

Adrien smiled. His dad was letting that happen more and more. “Hey Nino.” He smiled upon seeing his friend hanging out in the entryway.

“Hey dude, I heard you got caught in the middle of an akuma attack! You got to see Ladybug up close and personal!”

“Yeah it was quite something.” Adrien led him to his room.

“How was it? Swinging around the city with Ladybug?”  
Magical, warm, a dream. “It was kind of fun.”

“Alya’s going to be so jealous when she finds out.” Nino followed him into his bedroom. “Did you see Marinette at your lesson by the way? Alya mentioned she was going to try and join the academy.”

“Yeah, we were paired up actually. Marinette was kind of a natural.” It had surprised him. She was clearly new to it and knowing how clumsy she was, he hadn’t expected her to be so good.

“Do you think she’ll make the team?”

It was unlikely. Adrien thought honestly. His fencing master was very peculiar and very rarely accepted first timers. Once he had the rematch with Kagami, she would probably be the one accepted into the program. She was an impressive fencer and when Adrien had realized that the person he had been fighting had been a girl with dark hair… part of him had wondered if she had been Ladybug. The eyes were different but she was so confident and was clearly used to fighting that he couldn’t help but draw the comparison. And so he had followed her and looked her up online. After realizing that she had only just moved to Paris, he realized how she couldn’t be Ladybug and seconds later that was confirmed by her being akumatized and Ladybug showing up to save him. What would he have done if his suspicion hadn’t been immediately struck down? Become her friend and be on the lookout for clues? His Lady wouldn’t want him to play detective with her identity. Next time he suspected someone of being Ladybug he should let it go. She would tell him in her own time when they defeated Hawk Moth.

“Earth to Adrien!” Nino waved a hand in front of his face.

Adrien shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Hey you’ve had a busy day. It’s cool dude. Is it ok that I’ve popped by, I just need help with Marinette’s surprise birthday playlist but I can come by another time.” Nino walked towards his couch.

“It’s fine.” Adrien reassured him. “Wait, what surprise party?” Adrien stopped in his tracks.

“Marinette is turning 14 next weekend. Alya is planning this awesome party in the park. She hasn’t talked to you about it yet?”

Adrien shook his head.

“Well obviously you’re invited. In fact, Alya was wondering if you could track down André. She wants him to bring his ice cream stand to the party.”

“Sure, I’ll make sure to talk to her about it at school.” Adrien joined him on the couch.

“Just make sure Marinette doesn’t find out. It’s supposed to be a surprise after all. The cover story is that Marinette is accompanying her and her sisters to the dentist.”

“Got it.” Adrien smiled. He had never helped plan a birthday party before. This was going to be fun.

“Anyway, so I was building the playlist and I remembered she really liked that song you guys danced to at Chloe’s party. Do you remember what it was called? It was that classical piece.” Nino made a face as if it pained him just to think of the song.

Adrien laughed. “I do. It’s by one of my favorite composers.” Adrien pulled out his phone and found the song in question.

“Of course it is.” Nino rolled his eyes. “That’s enough.” He grabbed the phone to shut off the volume but wrote down the name of the song.

“It’s nice of you to include that song for her playlist even though you don’t like it.”

“Marinette’s a good friend. She deserves the best. She’s always gone the extra mile for all of us. Time to return the favour.”

Adrien smiled. Nino was right there.

“Besides, Marinette would appreciate this more than the gift I got her. It’s the thought that counts for her.”

Adrien blinked. Right, he would have to get her a gift but if what Nino was saying was true, an expensive gift wouldn’t cut it like it did with Chloe. What could he get her that was thoughtful?

“Alright, I also know she’s a big Jagged Stone’s fan. What would you say are his best songs?”

“Wait, you don’t like Jagged Stone!” Adrien asked aghast.

“He’s alright but I know that you know his music way better than I do so…”

“Fair enough.” He was a huge Jagged Stone fan. He spent the next few minutes helping Nino pick songs before he seemed satisfied.

“Perfect. I better call Alya and let her know I’ve let you in on the secret.” He got up and called his girlfriend. Adrien leaned back and thought about what he could get Marinette. His go to with Chloe had always been jewelry but Marinette seemed to always prefer her usual earrings. She was really into fashion so maybe clothing? No, that didn’t seem thoughtful enough. He pulled the lucky charm she had given him from his pocket. Maybe he could make her one to replace the one she gave him? That would be thoughtful right? Something handmade.

“Alright, we are good to go.” Nino returned, pocketing his phone. What do you say to a game of Megastrike?”

“You’re on!” Adrien went to set up the game. He’d have to think about Marinette’s gift some more later. Hopefully she’d like it.


	35. Befena

Adrien had been impressed with Marinette today. She had been really brave and quite gracious about the fact that her birthday had been ruined. She was obviously enjoying the evening party that was making up for the afternoon one what with her akumatized grandmother crashing it quite litteraly. And to think that that morning, all Adrien had been nervous about was giving her his gift. It wasn’t much but he thought she might appreciate the sentiment. But now that he thought about again maybe it was a dumb idea. Everyone else’s gifts seemed so much cooler. She had been flustered before eventually saying thank you so maybe she was just being polite. He pulled out her lucky charm. He smiled remembering when she had given it to him. He thought they had become closer as friends that day and the charm represented that for him. He felt lucky to have Marinette as a friend. But what if she didn’t see it that way?

“Ugh. Why are we hiding back here when the food and music are back there?” Plagg asked.

“I just needed a moment.” Once the dancing had started, he grabbed the opportunity to slip away and recharge. It had been a busy day, what with saving Paris once again and the introvert in him needed a break.

“Why are you staring at a bunch of beads as if it holds the key to life?” Plagg was clearly bored. 

Adrien pocketed the charm. “Fine, let’s go grab some food.” Adrien conceded, making his kwami happy. He turned to face the party when he noticed Marinette was sitting by herself on the bench. She was holding his gift and was smiling. Maybe she truly did enjoy it after all. His mood lifted as he walked over to join her. 

“Glad you like the gift. I was worried you hated it.” He said, sitting next to her.

She jumped and struggled to keep hold of the charm he had made her. Adrien laughed. Typical clumsy Marinette.

“Hate it? No, I think it was really thoughtful that you spent time to make it for me.” She smiled at him as she put the charm in her pocket.

Adrien smiled in triumph. Perfect, not a dumb gift after all. “Your grandma is pretty cool.” He mentioned, looking at where she was flirting with the ice cream guy.

Marinette giggled beside him. “Yeah, she’s great. It was a nice surprise to see her today.”

“Must have been an even bigger surprise when she got akumatized.” He had meant it as a light comment but her face told him it clearly wasn't.

Marinette looked away. “That was my fault. I made her feel unwelcomed.”

“It sounded to me like it had just been a misunderstanding.” Adrien was quick to point out.

“Yeah, we’re ok now.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, watching everyone dance. “So what are you doing back here? It’s your party.” He finally broke the silence.

“Guess I just needed a moment to myself.”

He could understand that. “Must have been quite the day for you what with being hunted down by Befana all day.”

“Yeah, I would have been a lump of coal if it wasn’t for everyone helping me and Cat Noir rescuing me.” She smiled fondly at her friends on the dance floor before her face fell. “Instead, you all turned to coal for me.”

Adrien wasn’t going to mention how he hadn’t been turned to coal. It was better that she thought he had than know the truth. “You’d do anything for your friends, is it really a surprise that they would do the same for you?” Obviously it was, because her face was the picture of surprise as she considered it.

“Besides, they- we all turned back to normal thanks to Ladybug and Cat Noir.” She didn't look quite as relieved about that as he had hoped.

“It was a close one though.” She said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh. Uh. I guess I just never was as close to the action as today.”

Right, he had put her in the Eiffel tower where she must have seen most of the fight. He didn’t know where Ladybug had then hidden her but it was a good thing she had. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I saw Ladybug in action when Riposte was out to get me last week. She’s quite something to watch up close.” And he was lucky enough to get to work beside her every day. Adrien coughed in the hopes of covering up his crush on the superhero. “Want to talk about it?” He offered.

Marinette worried her lip before answering. “What if they hadn’t managed to fix everything? What if Ladybug had been turned to coal and couldn’t reverse everything? Put everyone back to the way they were.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Ladybug always figures stuff out. She’s got the power of luck on her side after all.”

“You really trust them, don't you?” Marinette smiled shyly at him.

Adrien thought back on the day. The way his lady had saved him from his fall, how she had somehow known where Marinette was and found a better spot for her and how she had managed to pull off yet another crazy but brilliant plan. “With my life.” He said with absolute confidence. “Shall we join our friends?” He stood up and offered Marinette a hand. She accepted it and he pulled her to the dance floor. Nino was still playing some awesome upbeat tunes he had mixed together.

“Nino sure is talented uh?” Adrien said as he danced along and Marinette joined him.

“Yeah, it was so nice of him to put all that time into this awesome playlist.”

“He’ll be happy to know you liked it, he’s been working on it for over a week. I even helped a bit.”

“Y-you did?”

“Not very much. Nino has a better ear than I do.”

“No, your ears are great. I mean you’re great too. Music wise.” Marinette winced.

Adrien smiled. He could play the piano but when it came to making music up, he wasn’t the best. He couldn’t even finish the little tune he had started to form based off of Befana’s song. Ladybug had come to the rescue there too, calling herself his lady. He had liked the sound of that and hoped it was further indication that her feelings for him were changing.

The music changed to a slow dance and so he took a step closer to Marinette and grabbed her hand and waist. She blushed and let him lead her.

*****  
It was the single best birthday ever. Marinette was resting her head on Adrien’s shoulder, eyes closed, as they slow danced, a satisfied smile on her face. Gosh, this felt so right. His touch was so gentle and respectful. She wanted to commit every single part to memory. When the song ended far too soon into another upbeat song, Marinette stood straight as Adrien let go of her waist.

“Want some punch?” He asked her, pointing to the buffet table behind them. “Or maybe some ice cream? André makes the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.”

Marinette smiled. “I’d love some ice cream.” She managed to say without squealing or dancing which quite honestly was taking all her effort. 

“Be right back.” He walked over to the line. Marinette smiled at his retreating form, jumping when Alya jumped from behind her.

“Enjoying your party?”

Marinette gave her friend a huge hug. “Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Anytime.” Alya patted her back fondly. “I just wish it hadn't been so… eventful.” She pulled away.

Marinette had to admit it had been a terrifying afternoon. “At least I know you'd take a bullet for me. Well, a candy one anyways.” Marinette nudged her friend's elbow. Despite her light tone, she had been terrified when her friends had turned to coal. She had been eager to get away so she could transform and luckily, Cat Noir had been nearby and able to assist her. Once Ladybug, she has felt more confident in getting her friend back but it had been close a few times. She hated akuma attacks where her friends and family were in danger. 

"Adrien and you seem to be getting cosy." Alya winked.

Marinette blushed and smiled brightly. "Yeah, maybe I can finally tell him how I feel."

Alya gave her a kind smile but Marinette could tell that she was thinking that Marinette was kidding herself. "Maybe."

Nino came up around her and gave her a hug. 

"Hey!" Alya whipped around and hugged him. "Who's handling the music?" Alya got on her tippy toes trying to see over the crowd.

"Alix. Just for a few songs. Care to dance?" Nino extended his hand. 

Alya giggled and let him lead her towards the dance floor. They were so in sync with each other it made Marinette ache with a yearning for something similar. 

"Here you go. You like mint right?" Adrien appeared next to her. 

Marinette smiled. "Yeah. It's my favourite!"

"Yeah, Alya mentioned. I remembered because it's the same as- someone I know." 

The way he blushed and looked away made her heart sink. Who was he thinking about so fondly?

"That's a lot of fruit flavours." Marinette nodded to his own ice cream noticing the strawberry, blackberry and blueberry ice cream. 

"Yeah. It makes me berry happy." 

Marinette blinked and then burst out laughing, startling Adrien who gaped at her before smiling.

"No one ever laughs at my puns." He happily enjoyed his ice cream.

Marinette smiled at him and took a bite out of her own ice cream. 

"Alya and Nino make a good couple." Adrien remarked, watching the couple in question. The music had changed to something more gentle and they were nearly slow dancing now.

"Yeah, they seem really good for each other. I've never seen Nino so out of his shell before or Alya so happy."

"Yeah." 

Was it just her or did she detect a longing in his voice too? Who was he hoping to be with? Marinette looked down. She wondered again who he was thinking of. 

A buzz interrupted her thoughts. Adrien reached for his pocket, sighing before even looking at the screen. 

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Happy birthday again Marinette." He opened his phone. It was a text apparently. He typed a quick reply and put his phone away. He finished his ice cream in one bite and walked over to where his car had just parked.

Marinette smiled sadly at his retreating form. So much for her hopes of declaring her feelings. The music changed once again and Alya, no doubt seeing her bummed face, pulled her onto the dancefloor. Nino was going back to manning the music. Her other friends crowded around her, their happiness contagious and she was soon dancing and laughing along with them but half her mind was still on the puzzle of whether or not Adrien liked anybody. Pushing the troubling thought as much as she could, she focused on how awesome her friends were and how she should be grateful for how they had stood up to Befena and protected her. If nothing else, at least she had amazing friends.


	36. Frightingale

Marinette never thought the day would come where she would be grateful for Chloe’s brattiness. She had been so reckless in volunteering to be Ladybug for the video. She had been an inch away from putting on the mask. Thank goodness Nightingale agreed to her alternative video idea and she had dodged that bullet. She had managed to wear the Cat Noir mask instead and everyone had agreed that she didn’t look a thing like Ladybug. Her secret identity was safe. And she had gotten to dance not just with her friends but with Adrien as well! Marinette blushed at the memory of how she had gotten to hold his hand during the rehearsal. Although seeing him in the Cat Noir costume had been a shock at first. He looked really good in black and granted, he may be a little similar to Cat Noir, appearance-wise, but Adrien was nothing like her partner attitude-wise. Still, Marinette couldn't deny that her heart had gone crazy at the sight. What was wrong with her? She had daydreamed for a second that he was her Cat Noir. Ladybug laughed at the idea. They were vastly different, as she had tried to explain to Adrien. Gosh had she really called him lame? Marinette covered her face with her hands.

“You ok girl?” Alya asked. She had come over to her place to catch up on some homework since they had been busy with the music video.

“Yeah, I just can’t believe I called Adrien lame.”

Alya laughed. “He didn't seem to mind. And he called you funny. Even funnier than Ladybug.”

Marinette smiled at the memory. If only he knew that he had said that to the real Ladybug. She giggled.

“Oh, that reminds me! I got a picture of you two holding hands.” Alya cooed, pulling out her phone and showing the pictures she had taken earlier that day.

“Look how nervous you both look! Stage fright much?” Alya teased her.

“Right. Stage fright.”

“I’m surprised at how nervous Adrien was.” She zoomed in on his face when they were holding hands.

“You guys looked like such dorks.” Alya laughed at the next picture where Marinette had to admit, she was standing ridiculously. She had done it on purpose, determined to look lame and as unLadybug like as possible. It definitely looked convincing and Adrien looked so uncomfortable in the Cat Noir costume.

“I can’t believe I used to think Chloe was Ladybug. Look at this!” She showed her a picture of Chloe dressed up, dark hair and pigtails included.

“Chloe looks even less like Ladybug then I do.” Marinette crossed her arms. She had been so angry at the prospect of Chloe playing her. Tikky had scolded her on her rash actions and she had been right but Marinette couldn’t deny that she was happy with how things turned out.

“You know for a second I thought you were Ladybug.” Alya laughed.

Marinette froze and forced a laugh. “Me? What? Why?”

“You guys kind of look similar but, as much as I hate to say it girl, you don't have her grace.”

“If only.” Marinette laughed along while relaxing. Disaster averted.

“Besides, I’ve been going over the music video and I have a few new theories on who Ladybug might be. “

Marinette laughed and rolled her eyes as Alya went on a tangent on her latest theories. It seemed her identity was safer than ever.

*****

“This wasn’t the promotional video I was hoping for.” Gabriel said angrily after viewing the video.

“I’m sorry I disappointed you, father.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s that brat friend of yours, Chloe.”

Adrien gasped. His dad liked the Bourgeois family.

“I made a bad Cat Noir anyways. Everyone said so.” Adrien tried to deter.

“Clearly you are in need of some extra acting lessons. Nathalie will fill it in your schedule. We need you to be able to pull off that advertisement you have scheduled.” 

Adrien groaned internally. He had forgotten about the ad. “Yes, father.” Great. Just another activity to keep him cooped up. He was dismissed and went up to his room.

Plagg, now finally free to speak, burst out laughing. “I told you people were clueless.”

“It was still a close call.” Adrien defended himself. 

“Nah, even with the mask you would have looked like a dork and no one would be the wiser.”

“People aren’t that blind Plagg.” Adrien rolled his eyes. 

Plagg shrugged and popped another piece of cheese in his mouth.

Adrien sat at his desk, opening up some school work. He should get ahead of homework if he was about to be even busier. Acting lessons. Adrien snorted. He could act. He did it all the time. Act the perfect son, act the brave superhero, act the model student. Sometimes he couldn't tell who he really was with all these personas. Except when it was just him and Plagg. The Cat Noir he was when he wasn't busy saving Paris and trying to impress his lady. But she was probably the person who saw him the most as his true self and she liked him. Ok, she didn't like him the way he liked her but she was still his friend. Probably his best friend. Not that he would ever tell Chloe or Nino that. He wondered if that's how she saw him too. Adrien shook his head. He should get to his homework. He opened the music video instead. 

“I wonder if Ladybug has seen the video yet. It is a song mostly dedicated to her after all.” 

“I hope for her sake that she hasn’t. That song has been stuck in my head all week.” Plagg complained. 

“It’s not that bad Plagg.” It was no Jagged Stone but Clara Nightingale had a lot of talent. Just like his Lady. It was lucky she was so good at rhymes. He would have been toast without her there to help him out. 

He watched the video another time. He and Marinette had finally managed to dance in sync. It was a lot easier when he wasn’t worried about looking too much like his alter ego. Marinette looked a lot more comfortable too. She hadn’t wanted to play Ladybug at first and he had a suspicion she only did it because she didn’t want Chloe to get it. He imagined that his lady would have agreed that between Marinette and Chloe, Marinette was the better choice. Although very clumsy and awkward, she had Ladybug’s heart, as Clara hadn’t failed to notice. Chloe was the opposite; she had surprised him with her moves. He didn’t know she could dance like that, she looked almost as graceful as Ladybug but he couldn’t believe he had once thought that Chloe was Paris’ favourite superhero. They were far too different. It’s a shame that Clara hadn’t just asked for the real Ladybug and Cat Noir. He knew he would have agreed but perhaps Ladybug wouldn’t have. She was all business after all. That didn't stop him from daydreaming about how awesome the video could have been with the two of them dancing. As a bonus, he wouldn't need to take those stupid acting lessons. 

"I think the whole thing looks tacky." Plagg complained. "Who are all these random people?" 

"It symbolizes Paris' support for their superheroes." Adrien explaining, stopping the video. It had been Marinette's idea of course. That girl was full of brilliant creative ideas. Something else she shared in common with Ladybug. Clara had chosen well. For a second, seeing Marinette in the Ladybug costume, he thought that he was looking at his Ladybug. But something was off. She stood awkwardly instead of the confident stance of his partner and she tripped over herself in a way that Ladybug almost never did. Ladybug had her clumsy moments but she almost always graceful and strong. Not to mention how relax and fun Marinette could be compared to the down to business ladybug he knew. Ladybug had her fun moments of course and would often tease him back but she just had a more serious air about her. 

Nope, Marinette wasn't his Ladybug. He was back to having no idea who she was. He was disappointed. For a moment he imagined that if he did know who Ladybug was as a civilian, he could woo her as his civilian self instead of as a superhero. That seemed to be the biggest roadblock. They never had time to just talk and she took being a superhero very seriously. But maybe as a civilian...   
It didn't matter. He still had no clue who she was and he had decided not to try and figure it out to respect her wishes. But if he had discovered by accident... As if Ladybug would have been so reckless as to agree to dress up as herself. Only he was that reckless. It was a good thing that she didn't know his civilian identity. What with his almost revealing himself, she would kill him. For some reason that made him smile. Sure Ladybug acted more serious about the superhero thing but that's one of the things he loved about her. She was mature, up to the task and not afraid of anything. She had grown a lot since their first meeting. He couldn't imagine a better partner. They were growing stronger as a team too. Their coordinated attack had proved that much. And one day, maybe they would grow closer in another way. With a happy sigh, Adrien focused on his school work.


	37. Gorizilla

Marinette quickly changed and ran to the pool. “I’m here! I’m here!” She yelled as she approached the girls. 

“About time girl! Now tell us everything!” Alya smiled at her. “How on earth did you end up in a fountain and the movies in your pyjamas with Adrien?” Everyone giggled and Marinette felt her embarrassment anew.

“Uh, well you see… I may have exaggerated my being on my way earlier and so I rushed out after your call, without changing, and we sort of ran into each other and he needed help hiding so I did, help I mean, but then that akuma attack happened and I was stuck in the cinema and I had to get back home to change and well I’m here now!” Marinette rushed through the explanation.

“Everyone was calling you his girlfriend.”

Marinette blushed. “I know.” She gushed. “But I’m not. I mean yet. We could be. Adrien wasn’t bothered by the idea…” She was stammering so she cut herself short.

Alya laughed. “Well, it sounds like you definitely had a full morning.” She guided her into the building.

“Look it’s her!” Someone pointed in their direction. “It’s Adrien’s girlfriend!”

Marinette stood still in shock. “Uh… Actually, I’m -“

“What is it like dating a model as perfect as Adrien?” The girl asked, filming her.

Marinette gave a nervous laugh. “No, see I’m not-“

“How did you meet?” Somebody else asked.

“How long have you been dating?”

“Does he really smell like his fragrance?”

She was being bombarded by questions and backed away as they advanced on her. “I’m sorry I have to go.” She turned to her friends. “I’m sorry, another time ok?” She asked as she ran out the door and hid in an alleyway just in case people would follow her. Thankfully, they didn’t but she still felt the need to stay out of sight for a little while.  
“Tikki. Spots on!” For once being Ladybug might get her out of the spotlight more than being Marinette. She immediately went for the roofs. Best to stay out of sight regardless.

*****

Adrien hid his tears from his father. The movie had made him feel closer to his mom but had also renewed his sense of loss. Once it had finished his father had told him to go make up for his missed piano practice. His attention had been short-lived but at least it had been there for a bit. Maybe things could improve after all. Adrien played the piano for a little bit until his father sent Nathalie to check that it was actually him before going back to his old trick. He just didn't feel like playing.  
He went to his computer instead, he already had 10 emails. All from Wayhem. Maybe it had been a mistake to share his email. He didn’t feel like reading all of those yet. Then again, he could use a friend right now but he wasn’t close with Wayhem yet to talk about his mom.

His phone rang and he was happy to see it was Chloe. She would understand.  
“Hey Clo.” He answered, forcing his voice to be cheerful.

“Adrien! Everyone thinks you’re dating Marinette!” Oh. Right. He should really set that strait for Marinette’s sake. “I, of course, said that was preposterous!”

Adrien had quickly gone from grateful to annoyed. Chloe knew Marinette was his friend. “It wouldn’t be that ridiculous Clo.”

He heard her gasp. “You’re not saying it’s true are you!?”

Adrien sighed. “We’re not dating. You know how people can jump to conclusions.”

“Oh right. Of course. See, I knew it. You are far too sophisticated for the likes of her. She’s far too -”

“Chloe, was there a reason you called?” He cut her off.

“Yes. You must set this story straight!”

“I’ll deal with it later. I’m sure you’ll tell people.” He hung up the phone and sighed. He didn’t feel like telling Chloe about his mom anymore. He could call Nino but he felt a little embarrassed… Marinette already knew a bit about the movie. He could talk to her…

“Why so blue? You got to see the movie.” Plagg came up to him.

How silly of him. He could talk to Plagg about it.

“And I’m glad I did. It’s a piece of her but I still miss her a lot.” Plagg patted him on the back.

“I just wish I knew what happened to her.” He continued. “I can’t imagine she would abandon me.” But maybe she had. He thought about it as little as possible but what other reason could there be?

“I never met your mom but by everything you tell me, she was too nice for that.” Plagg directed his vision to his desktop image. “She shares Ladybug’s kind eyes after all.” He smiled at him, quoting what Adrien had himself said to Ladybug a while back. He smiled at the memory but it didn't reach his eyes. What if he hadn’t really ever known his mother at all?

“I know what would cheer you up.” Plagg smiled at him.

“Yeah what?” He replied gloomily.

“A piece of camembert!” Plagg offered him a piece.

Adrien laughed. “I have a better idea. You better eat that up. Claws out!”

He was out the window in seconds. Yup this was what he needed. Movement and the air on his face. He made it halfway across Paris before slowing down. No disturbances in the streets this evening. He stopped in front of a picture of himself from his new ad. How embarrassing. Marinette had even teased him about it at the cinema. He had laughed it off but the truth was he thought it was over the top and wasn’t eager to do another one any time soon.

“Thinking of changing your scent?” Ladybug said teasingly from behind. He jumped and quickly recovered himself.

“Only if you would prefer it m’lady.” He smiled easily. How perfect that his Lady would find him in his time of need.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, refraining from comment. She walked over to stand next to him as they observed the skyline.

“I’m glad you showed up when you did today.” Ladybug broke the silence.

“Sorry I couldn't be there earlier.”

“I knew you would show up eventually.” She said confidently and he warmed at the confidence she had shown in him earlier that day as well.

“Your trust means the world to me.” He bowed. If only she knew how much he had trusted her with his life that day.

Ladybug sighed. “Maybe people trust us a little too easily.”

Cat Noir blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I told Adrien,” She pointed to the billboard of himself with her chin. “to jump earlier today before you arrived when we were at the top of the Montparnasse tower. I was planning on jumping after him but Gorizilla had a hold on me. If he hadn’t let me go…” She didn’t finish her sentence. The worry on her face was clear enough of what she meant. He smiled at how much she worried over him. Not that she knew that. 

“But of course you got out and saved him just in time.” He replied, trying to hide his smile. Good thing too. A little longer and he probably would have had to take Plagg’s advice and his secret would have become known to everyone. The way she had held onto him and gently let him touch the ground will be seared in his memory forever.

“That’s just it though. I don’t know why he dropped me. He was too strong for me to escape on my own.”

Cat Noir didn’t know what to say to that. “It all worked out in the end.” 

“I guess. Thanks for showing up when I needed you Cat Noir.” She smiled tenderly at him. He was transfixed by her look.

“Every time m’lady.” He said, his eyes locked on hers. He subconsciously leaned in.

She looked away. “So what has you down?” She asked.

Cat Noir looked at her surprised, coming out of the trance she had put him in. How had she known he was down? “Just civilian stuff. Guess we can’t talk about it since it might reveal who I am.” It’s what she had told him when she had turned him down on the rooftop anyway.

She gave him a soft look. “Maybe if you kept the details vague enough.”

“There’s just someone that I miss. A lot. I was reminded of them today by… something. It kind of just opened old wounds I guess.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Kitty.” She placed a comforting hand on his back. He hesitated but then turned to hug her and she held him tight as he forced his tears not to fall. He didn’t want to cry in front of Ladybug. But maybe this was one of those moments that he didn’t need to be strong. Ladybug’s hug was comforting and he wiped his eyes before drawing away from her.

“Thanks Ladybug.”

“Anytime.” She smiled at him, caressing his cheek where the tears had been. She had no idea how much her touch helped. The urge to kiss her was rising again. He pulled himself together and stood straiter. 

“So what brings you out tonight?” He was eager to change the topic. 

“Civilian stuff.” She quoted him with a smile, pulling her hand away. 

“Need to talk?” He offered with a smile. 

She shook her head. “I just needed some fresh air away from… people.”

He wondered what thoughts preoccupied her mind. She was blushing at whatever they were. He wondered if it had anything to do with that guy she had mentioned. It must be hard for her. To love someone who didn’t know she was a superhero. Maybe they weren’t working out. He squashed the hope that had started to form. What a horrible thing to hope for.

“I should head back. People are probably worried at how I disappeared on them.”

Cat Noir got up and gave her a hand to help her up as well. She took it despite not needing it.

“Take care of yourself Kitty.” She smiled at him before taking off. He followed her with his eyes until she was a mere dot and he headed home as well. His heart lighter than when he had arrived.


	38. Robustus

Marinette was more determined than ever to discover who Hawk Moth was and protect her miraculous. She had always assumed Hawk Moth wanted their miraculouses because it allowed them to be superheroes and they got in his way. Remove the competition and he could do what he wanted. She hadn’t given much thought to what he wanted past that though. He was evil and they were good and that was the end of it. Turns out things were far more complicated than that. Both Cat Noir’s and her miraculous were dangerous in the wrong hands. Flashbacks of times when she had almost lost her earrings ran through her mind. She needed to be more careful. The danger of losing them was greater than she had ever known.

“Are you alright Marinette?” Tikki asked from her purse. She was walking back home from visiting Master Fu and the streets were reasonably clear.

“I guess it’s just a lot of information to take in.” And a lot of responsibility.

“You’ll manage it. Just like you always do!”

Marinette smiled at her kwami. It was easier to handle all this with Tikki by her side. She was worried Master Fu was hiding more information from her but she didn’t think she could handle it all at once if there was.

“Just as long as you're with me Tikki.” When the robot had been a hair breath away from removing her earing, her first thought had been about Tikki. The idea of Hawk Moth holding her captive sent a shiver down her spine. Yet another reason to keep them safe at all costs.

“What’s that?” Tikki asked. Pointing to a man in brown running and flapping his arms.

“Another akuma victim?” Marinette wondered worriedly. Today’s attack had been rough. She didn’t know if she could handle another one. Nevertheless, she went into an alley to transform and quickly caught up with the man. On closer inspection, it didn’t look like an akuma… just a man in an Owl suit. Curious, she followed him.

*****

“I didn't know that robots could be akumatized. Let’s hope Hawk Moth doesn’t try that one again.” Adrien flopped on his couch. If it hadn’t been for Max, they would have been done for. It had been a particularly exhausting day, he propped himself back up and turned the TV on.

“Does Paris have a new superhero?” The announcer said as footage of a heavy-set man in a brown suit ran on the screen.

“What’s this? A new superhero?” Adrien looked around for Plagg who was at his desk eating cheese. “Plagg get over here.”

“The self-proclaimed Owl states he is here to help Parisian with any problem big or small.” The superhero in question was attempting to change a flat tire with a worried looking citizen next to him as the crank collapsed on itself and the Owl was now stuck with part of his costume under the wheel of the car.

“He seems a little clumsy for a superhero.” Adrien critiqued.

Plagg laughed. “That’s no superhero I’m familiar with. Seems like a delusional fan to me.”

Ladybug showed up on the screen helping to lift the car and freeing the Owl who removed himself a little too quickly and fell on his back. Adrien blinked. 

“Plagg, Claws out!” Ladybug might have things under control but he wasn’t going to miss a chance to hang out with her. Sure he had seen her earlier that day, but he missed her already. He quickly made his way towards her position and landed next to the pair as Ladybug suggested the Owl refrain from doing stuff he wasn’t comfortable with.

“Not to worry Ladybug. Just a few faulty gadgets. Next time will go far more smoothly. Never fear when the Owl is near!” He did a dab and ran off.

“Next time?” Ladybug seemed less than impressed.

“No worries m’lady. He’ll get tired of this game soon enough.”

“I hope you’re right Cat Noir.” She looked even more exhausted than he felt.

“You look like you could use a cat nap.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. 

She gave him an exasperated look. 

He changed tactics. “What do you say we take a relaxing stroll milady?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “I think I’ve had enough exercise for one day. I’ll see you around and hopefully not too soon.”

Cat Noir was disappointed as he watched Ladybug swing away. Cat Noir made to go back home as well but slowed as he noticed the Owl in a tree, attempting to free a stuck kite. Cat Noir sighed and went over to help him. The man fell out of the tree, nearly losing his mask. In the second it took the wannabe superhero to fix it, Cat Noir was surprised to recognize his principal Mr Damocles. 

“No need to help, young man. I am fully capable of getting the kite down myself.” The Owl pulled out a type of claw gun and shot it in the direction of the kite just to have it fall short and come crashing back down. Cat Noir shook his head and jumped to grab the kite and give it to the nearby girl whom he assumed was the owner.

“Mr Damo- Owl. Why don’t you go home? It’s getting late.”

“The perfect time for crime! I’m not going anywhere. Owl dust!” He threw some grey powder and ran off.

Cat Noir sighed and called Ladybug. “Sorry to disturb you m’lady but we have an Owl problem.” He had a feeling it was going to be a long night, but at least he would be spending it with Ladybug. She wasn't as thrilled. 

"Alright," She sighed. "This better not take long. I have an early morning tomorrow." She hung up. 

He didn't see Ladybug grouchy often. He would have to find a way to cheer her up. It would be a lower key affair after all; tracking the Owl and helping him out of trouble. They would have the time to just hang out. He took to the roofs and followed the school principal, who was running around no doubt looking for more people in need. Ladybug was next to him soon enough. Cat Noir filled her in on his identity. 

"Mr Damocles?" She said surprised. "But he's so-" She cut herself off. So she knew who his principal was. Enough to know he didn't seem the type. Not at school anyways. He pushed the clue away to the back of his mind. 

"Not superhero material like us?" He finished her sentence. 

"Right." She smiled at him. 

"I don't know... Maybe we could use a sidekick." He teased. 

She pushed him playfully. "Don't be silly. Although... maybe I should trade up." She smirked, watching him in the corner of her eye.

"Ahah." He mocked. "You'd miss me. Besides this guy would do more harm than good."

"You've got that right. Look." She pointed at where he was attempting to redirect jaywalkers, himself standing in the middle of the road blocking traffic. "Come on." She took the lead, looking less grumpy already. He secretly hoped the Owl would make this a habit. He was quite enjoying this relaxing time with Ladybug.


	39. Dark Owl

That had been too close. Ladybug had actually lost one of her earrings to the villain, she had started to slowly transform back and she wondered just how far losing just one earring could take her. She stood in her room, testing it. She removed just one and watched as her costume started to disintegrate. To her horror it continued past the halfway mark as opposed to what she had hoped and in under a minute she was back to being Marinette. She put the earring back in, the costume rolling back on just as slowly as it had disappeared. It was slower than when she gave Tikki the command to transform but not by much. And worse, Tikki hadn’t appeared when she had removed the earring. Being Marinette without Tikki felt wrong. “Spots off.” She immediately looked for her kwami and hugged her, causing Tikki to giggle.

“What was that for?” She smiled up at Marinette.

“I’m just glad you’re here.”

“You’re plan worked great. Good thinking Marinette.” She was as encouraging as ever.

“Lucky I had those fakes really.” She planned on making new ones just in case but odds were that Hawk Moth wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. Hopefully she would never have to. It had been nerve racking, she couldn't tell Cat Noir her full plan but he had trusted her fully and giving up his miraculous.  
For a moment the power to control both miraculous was in her hand. She had quickly closed Cat Noir’s hand over his ring. The very thought of having that much power for even a second terrified her. She didn’t know how it worked and had been worried she might accidentally ruin the balance of the universe. That would be just like her clumsy self.  
Cat Noir’s hand had been surprisingly warm and smooth to the touch. His claws were obviously a part of his transformation as well since his nails had been smooth too. She had expected rougher hands, she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps because of his light bad boy persona. But no, his hands had been smoother than hers and she refused to think about how her skin had slightly tingled at the touch. She had just been nervous. But it had made her curious. She was surprised at how much she had wanted to open her eyes and see who her partner was under the mask. She had scrunched her face, forcing her eyes to stay closed. She wondered if Cat Noir had been as self-controlled. He hadn’t kept it secret how badly he wanted to know her identity after all.

“Tikki…” She started. Bur maybe she didn’t need to ask. Cat Noir hadn’t acted any differently. She had trusted him to keep his eyes closed and somehow she knew he had. He obeyed her wishes in the past and would have again. Her kwami was staring at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence. “I think we deserve the night off.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

*****

Tikki watched her wielder and Alya play video games with a smile on her face. There was a lot of stuff she kept secret from Marinette but today she had learned one to beat them all. Little did Marinette know that the boy she had been crushing on for nearly a year was the same boy she repeatedly denied a date. Adrien was Cat Noir.

Tikki had always suspected as much. There had always been a drawn between the Cat Noirs and Ladybugs of the past and Marinette’s feelings had come upon her quite suddenly after becoming Ladybug and meeting Cat Noir. Still, to have it confirmed had been a little heartbreaking. Marinette had no idea and the knowledge could potentially take care of any heartache either party was going through. And yet, she had to keep it secret. 

Tikki snuck into Alya’s kitchen, getting into a cookie bag. It had been nice to see Plagg again, she reflected. He was just as expressive as ever but he hadn’t argued about having to make due with a macaroon instead of cheese. She giggled again at his shocked face at what was going on when Cat Noir had detransformed. Plagg probably hadn’t had any suspicions of who Ladybug was and must have been shocked at seeing the humans give up their miraculous until the plan had become obvious.

She was proud of Adrien though. The boy had kept his eyes shut, with a great amount of force and will. She didn’t know what he was going to say but she had closed his mouth just in case it might ruin the plan. That and Marinette probably would have recognized his voice. Without the suit, the magic that masked their voices wouldn’t be at play. She wondered what he was planning on saying. The whole thing was quite romantic and she was a sucker for romance.

“Alright, I give up.” Alya said from the living room and Tikki quickly made her way back to her original hiding spot. “I’ve been practicing all week and you pick it up just like that. It isn’t fair.” The girl giggled.

Marinette joined in. “Why don’t you tell me more about being cardboard girl.” It was all the encouragement Alya needed and she explained the whole thing from finding Paris’ two superheroes in her bedroom to being a part of their plan.

“The costume was ridiculous but I guess it did the job.”

Tikki covered her mouth to prevent the giggle that threatened to escape at Marinette’s face. She had worked all night on her plan to deter the Owl from playing superhero. But she knew that, given more time, Marinette would have designed something far better.

“Nino is inviting us over for a major play off. You interested?” Alya said, looking at her phone.

“I don’t know, I have a lot of homework to catch up on.” Marinette hesitated. It was true, she had been so busy being Ladybug this past week that her grades were suffering.

“Adrien will be there.” Alya cooed.

As predicted, Marinette was now all for it. Little did she know, she had spent every day this week with the boy in question. Tikki giggled before flying into Marinette’s purse as the girls walked by her hiding spot. This was going to be fun.

*****

Plagg watched from a shelf the four people playing video games bellow. Adrien had immediately called his friend Nino to make good on his promise and somehow two had become four. Plagg groaned at seeing Adrien next to Ladybug without the boy even realizing it. So it was going to be one of those stories. It reminded him too much of the Ladybug and Cat Noir back in Greece all those centuries ago. It had taken those two forever to get together despite being in love which each other for years without knowing it. Where these two in for the same fate? Adrien hadn’t even asked him who Ladybug was. He was tempted to tell him just to get the unnecessary heartache to stop. But Tikki and the others wouldn’t be happy and kwamis could hold grudges for quite a long time. Speaking of Tikki… she must be around here somewhere. He looked left and right for her distinctive pink colour. A few shelves over he spotted her and he made his way over.

“Adrien should have peaked. Then I wouldn’t have to listen to his constant complaining on how Ladybug doesn’t return his feelings.” He commented.

As predicted, Tikki shot him a scolding look. “You know very well why they can’t know each other’s identity.”

Plagg rolled his eyes. “That happened once.” He personally thought that rule was overrated. He had done his duty and told Adrien he couldn’t know but he hadn’t really expected the boy to take it that much to heart. Then again it probably had more to do with respecting Ladybug’s wishes. How aggravating. Tikki didn't seem to think so though. She was staring all googly eyed at the couple. Marinette was smiling at Adrien who had just high fived her on them beating the real couple in the room. Plagg groaned.

“It’s so romantic.” TIkki said happily. Tikki was insane.

Plagg stuck his tongue out in disgust. “Sickening is more like it. “

Tikki looked horrified. “I know you don’t mean that.”

“Let’s just tell them. What are the odds of that whole Egypt thing happening again?”

“It isn't worth the risk and you know it.” She glared. “They’ll find each other anyways.”

“Because that worked out so well for the China Cat Noir and Ladybug.” Plagg said sarcastically.

“It did.” She said stubbornly. They would have to agree to disagree about that particular sore spot. “These two aren’t ready to know the truth anyways.”

She probably had a point there. They were still young and the last thing that they needed was something to ruin their working relationship.   
Plagg made his way to where Adrien kept some cheese and brought it back to Tikki who was still watching the two ignorant lovebirds interacting. Her nose immediately crunched up upon his approach.

“You shared your food with me so just this once you can have a piece of my cheese.” He offered. It was only fair and Adrien did buy him a lot of the stuff. More than he strictly needed but he wasn’t going to tell the boy that. Tikki inched away.

“That’s ok, I’m full. I had a box of cookies earlier.”

Plagg shrugged. Her loss. See, if the silly humans just realized how Camembert deserved their true love instead then this whole mess would be fixed.

*****

Adrien was hardly in a rush to get home. His father had seemed particularly angry that day and so the further from home he was, the better. Besides, he was having a great time with his friends despite his mind being half preoccupied with other thoughts. He kept thinking over the previous night’s events. It had taken all his self-control to keep his eyes shut and not discover who his lady really was. He had been dying to ask Plagg who clearly knew because of how he changed the subject whenever Adrien had mentioned something related to the incident.  
Ladybug’s plan had been brilliant and he had been so relieved when they weren’t actually giving up their miraculous. How could he have doubted her? She had found his open hand and closed his fingers around his ring. He had been so surprise at her touch, it had sent a pleasant shiver up his arm. Surely she must have felt the same charge of electricity as he had. He was about to compliment her warm touch when something had closed his mouth. He had assumed it was Plagg but Plagg had informed him that it had been Ladybug’s kwami. Instead, he had put his ring back on and had waited for the signal to transform back. He could feel the whip cream being drained and when Dark Owl had loudly congratulated himself, he thought her heard Ladybug say spots on and so he had ordered Plagg to transform him as well. He had felt Ladybug’s costume covered hand on his check and so he had opened his eyes. Indeed, his lady was in front of him, eyes still closed as she felt for his mask before opening her eyes as well and quickly removing her hand to his disappointment. His heart had been beating fast. He had been so close. One peak is all it would have taken. She wouldn’t necessarily have known but he hadn’t done it. It wasn’t how he wanted them to reveal themselves.

“Booya! Marinette style!” Marinette rejoiced at having defeated them all again.

“She’s unbeatable. I’m done.” Nino set his controller down.

“Aww come on. I’ll play with only one hand.” Marinette teased, her left hand behind her back.

“Don’t fall for it, she got me with that earlier.” Alya warned causing Marinette to blush.

“How about a different game then.” Marinette got up to look through Nino’s collection.

Adrien had barely registered that the round was over. He was happy to finally hang out with Nino and his other friends. He had put it off long enough and yet part of him had gotten used to spending every past evening this week with Ladybug. He had asked her out earlier that day after checking in on the owl, not really thinking that he owed his friend a hang out. It was for the best that she had declined. Well technically she hadn’t said no, she had said she had other plans with a friend. A female friend which had been a relief to hear. So she finally had time off and she wasn’t immediately going to spend time with the mysterious boy. That was a good sign right? Adrien chastised himself again for wishing rejection on his lady. 

“How about this one? I haven’t played it in ages.” Marinette selected a game.

“Fine, but you only get to play with your left hand.” Nino conceded, his face full of determination.

Adrien didn’t recognize the game Marinette had picked. It seemed like a racing game. Pushing his thoughts of Ladybug aside, he focused on being able to just hang out with his friends. It had been long overdue after all.


	40. Sapotis

“How many miraculous are there Plagg?” Adrien asked his kwami after getting home. He had always assumed he and Ladybug were the only two. What else did Ladybug know that he didn’t? After getting her lucky charm she had said that she knew someone who could help and yet Rena Rouge had said that she had never used her power of illusion before. There was obviously something he wasn’t in on.

Plagg was ignoring him, enjoying his cheese as always.

“Plagg!” Adrien tried to grab his attention and when that failed, he plain old grabbed his kwami, a scowl on his face.

“Hey!” Plagg complained. “What gives?”

Adrien let go but still gave him a hard stare. “It’s not fair that Ladybug knows stuff that I don’t.”

“Well don’t look at me. I don’t know anything.” Plagg made to go back to his cheese.

“Really?”

“What does it matter anyway?”

“Ladybug and I are a team aren’t we? How come she isn’t sharing stuff with me?” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. He did. But he was hurt that she may not trust him…

“It’s not hers to share.”

“So you do know something then.”

“I couldn’t tell you if I did.”

Adrien groaned. Maybe it didn’t matter. In the end everything had worked out and if need be, Ladybug could get her other superhero friend again and Rena Rouge was pretty awesome. He just hoped that she wouldn’t replace him too much. Maybe he was just being a little jealous. Unlike Ladybug who seemed immune to jealousy. Adrien face-palmed at how he had acted with Rena Rouge in an attempt to make Ladybug jealous. It had been stupid. Besides, what if Rena had fallen for his ruggedly good charm?  
It didn’t matter. They would get along just fine. He just needed to act with his head and not let any emotions get the best of him. Her superpower had been just what they needed and Ladybug wasn't replacing him, he told himself again. This was a special circumstance. He hoped.

*****

Alya was dying to tell Marinette everything. Being Rena Rouge had been a dream. She had ran and jumped to the point of flying and she had gotten to help Cat Noir and Ladybug save her sisters. She had been honoured at Ladybug’s trust in her only to then feel shame at how, for a moment, she had thought of breaking that trust by keeping the miraculous. Trix had been right though. She hoped she would get to see him again.  
Pretending not to know everything she had done was tough. Marinette was telling her about Rena Rouge and she did her best to act ignorant but it was killing her to not share this amazing experience with her best friend. But Ladybug was right. If she wanted to be Rena Rouge again, she had to prove she was trustworthy and that meant keeping the secret.  
She felt like such a hypocrite. Just earlier that evening she had told Marinette that she would share such a secret with her. Marinette had been right earlier that day. She needed to protect her friends from her secret; less Hawk Moth would use them against her. It made her rethink her whole investigation into who Ladybug and Cat Noir where.

“And then the new superhero made this amazing illusion of an amusement park. It was so cool!” Marinette gushed.

“Sounds amazing! I can’t believe I missed it.”

“Well it’s a good thing you found your sisters. I was looking all over for you and them but all the sapotis looked alike.”

“Yeah no kidding. Thank goodness for Paris’ superheroes. They were home with Cat Noir when I finally got back home.” That part was true. After giving up Trixx, she had rushed home where Cat Noir had only just dropped them off. She had gushed and thanked him. He had given her a graceful bow and had made a quick exit. There hadn’t been the flirting she had experienced earlier that evening as Rena Rouge. Maybe he really was just a flirt and didn’t love Ladybug after all like she had thought. She had witnessed him flirting with Marinette a while back as well after all. She had effortlessly put him in his place though, just in case. She had a boyfriend and wasn’t about to go flirt with someone else. Ladybug hadn’t seemed to think anything of it and so she wouldn’t worry about it either.

“So movie?” Marinette leaned back on the couch, drinking some orange juice. “Or do you need to put all of this up on your ladyblog?”

She probably should, to put off any suspicions. But it was going to be weird to write about herself as she would Ladybug. She would have to think about how best to approach the topic. “Nah, let’s watch the movie.” Tonight was about them finally having their sleep over after all.

*****

Marinette tried her best not to laugh as she and Alya started the movie. She was proud of her best friend. Alya had managed to keep her being Rena Rouge a total secret and hadn’t given herself away as Marinette had gushed about her. Marinette smiled again, trying to suppress the laughter again at the irony. It was fun but she knew the whole thing must be killing her best friend. In fact, she knew exactly what it was like. How many times had Marinette wanted to tell Alya the truth about her secret identity and had had to keep it in. Maybe one day, she could let her friend know. What a day that would be. After all the times Alya had praised Ladybug to her face without knowing it. She hoped her friend wouldn’t be mad at her. At least now they both had a secret. Or Alya thought she had a secret anyways. Would her friend be bitter about that if ever Marinette revealed herself? She seemed to have a better understanding of the importance of secrecy so hopefully she would understand.  
Not that there was any sign of that day even ever being a possibility.  
Marinette didn’t like to think about that too much. Would she be forced to keep this huge secret her whole life? From all her friends, her family… her eventual husband and kids… Could she remain Ladybug that long? Would she have to? Part of her wanted a simpler life. Not right now. Not with Hawk Moth reeking havoc every other week. But what about after they defeated him? Would she have to give up the miraculous… give up Tikki? Marinette searched around for her kwami, finding her near the kitchen. Of course that’s where she would be. Marinette made a mental note of bringing Alya some baked cookies in payment for whatever Tikki would have consumed. She couldn’t imagine life without her kwami nor giving up her superpowers and what about Cat Noir? Would they reveal themselves and stay friends? She hoped so.  
He had been his typical flirty self with Rena Rouge. She wondered if that meant that he was getting over her or if it was like when he had flirted with her as Marinette but was in love with her as Ladybug. Part of her was offended that he would claim to love her but then get over her just as quickly but another part of her hoped for his sake that he had. She didn’t want to hurt him and she knew what it was like to love someone and not have them love you back.  
Marinette smiled at how Adrien had said he would join them for a movie next weekend. That was, assuming nothing came up again. He's scheduled seemed to be busier than usual. Sometimes she wishes she had developed a crush on a far more available guy. Her heart would never allow that though. She was full on in love with the boy. Marinette sighed thinking of him, earning a knowing look from Alya. Marinette blushed. Yup, her heart was rock solid set on the boy. No matter how busy he was, her stubborn heart wouldn't let go anytime soon.


	41. Syren

Plagg was proud of himself. Under the greatest temptation of what sounded like the best cheese ever, he hadn’t given away Master Fu. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held on though. Adrien had been quite persistent. He had welcomed the akuma attack with open arms. That relief had been short lived though as Adrien had nearly given him up. Plagg would never admit to how much that had hurt. If Master Fu hadn’t showed up and Adrien had persisted with his threat… Would he have betrayed the secret? Plagg looked guilty as Master Fu explained how each magic Camembert cheese piece would transform him. Plagg shuttered at the red one. He remembered that one being a particularly unpleasant transformation. There would be no risk of Plagg eating those by his own will. 

Master Fu gave Adrien a list. “Ladybug has the same potions and a copy of this list.”

Adrien looked down ashamed.

“What is bothering you Cat Noir?”

“I got upset at Ladybug for keeping you secret from me. I thought she didn’t trust me and I got mad at her but I know how hard it is to keep a secret.” Plagg groaned. He was realizing this only now?

“I told Ladybug the time had not yet been right. Just earlier today she had come to see me to convince me it was time to let you know the secret.”

Adrien looked up, eyes wide.

“I revealed myself to Ladybug first because she had found an ancient grimoire that her kwami recognized as belonging to me. Without it, I would have never found the right ingredients to give you the aqua powers today.”

Plagg starred at Master Fu wide eyed. A grimoire? A memory resurfaced of Adrien coming across a book in his father’s safe. It had looked familiar… And he had discounted it. But how had Marinette gotten her hands on it to give it to Faster Fu? Tikki had obviously recognized its importance. Plagg avoided Master Fu’s knowing look. Wazz flew over to him concerned. Plagg waved him off. It was nice to see his friend again but he didn’t want to admit how he had messed up.

“The second time Ladybug came to see me was because her lucky charm directed her to me. As it did today.” Master Fu continued.

“Rena Rouge.” Adrien said surprised.

“The magic of the lucky charm is a mystery but it was clear to me that Ladybug was the one who would have to pick the next superhero.”

“But if Ladybug can know Rena Rouge’s identity why can’t I know hers?” Adrien asked, blushing slightly.

“You were frustrated that you couldn't know who the girl you love really is.”

“How did you-“ Adrien was startled. 

“But it is not yet time to put those noodles in the boiling water.”

Adrien blinked confused.

“Secrecy is how we protect ourselves. My identity is another secret you will need to keep now. Just as I protect yours.”

Adrien nodded. “If ladybug knows your identity and Rena’s… does she know mine?”

Master Fu chuckled. “That is another secret that is not ready to be revealed.” He got up. “You must not seek me out Cat Noir and you must trust Ladybug to know when she can share her other secrets with you. If we don't trust each other, we will not be able to defeat Hawk Moth.” Adrien got up as Master Fu made his way to the door.

“Ladybug’s trust in you is great Cat Noir.” 

Adrien looked down ashamed. “I know, I won’t doubt her again.”

Master Fu smiled at him. “Take care Cat Noir. You both need each other.” He put a hand on Adrien’s, where his ring was. “I gave you this for a reason. Despite what you might think, your absence would be greatly noted. And missed.”

Adrien clenched his hand into a fist and nodded in determination. 

“It was nice to meet you.” Wazz smiled at him.

Adrien smiled awkwardly. “Nice to meet you too.” He waved them both goodbye.

“So I guess not all Kwamis are as insufferable as you are.” Adrien teased him when they were alone again. Plagg knew he was joking but the comment stung anyway. 

“Well too bad because you heard Master Fu. You’re stuck with me.” Plagg said, not bothering to hide his anger and flying away to the other side of the room.

“Plagg wait.” Adrien ran to catch up with him. “Thanks for saying what you did earlier today.” He was rubbing his neck the way he did when he was uncomfortable. Plagg’s anger dissipated. “I wouldn’t have actually given you up you know. You’ve become my best friend.”

“Really?” Plagg looked up at him.

“You’re there for me when I need you Plagg.” Adrien smiled. “Besides, who else would be my partner in crime.” His voice turned teasing again.

“You would never have fun without me.” Plagg returned.

Adrien grabbed his tablet and returned to his Chinese lesson. Plagg smiled at him fondly. He didn’t want another Cat Noir. He had one of the best ones in front of him.

*****

Marinette finished wrapping up the three sets of macaroons and hid two in her room. She was wondering how Cat Noir was doing. Obviously Master Fu had spoken to him earlier that day because he had thanked her for keeping her promise. She was relieved that that was one less secret she had to hide. She hadn’t wanted to keep Cat Noir in the dark. It had hurt to see him angry at her. She hated disappointing him. Ever since she had turned him down, they had felt a little off. Perhaps it was just that he had toned down the excessive flirting. Was it wrong that she kind of missed it? She enjoyed their banter in a way. It helped lighten the mood and she regretted dismissing his previous attempts at conveying his feelings. She wanted to find a new playfulness and so had joined in on his puns. Had she really said pawsibly? She had smiled, expecting him to react to that one but for once he had been the most serious one about their job and focused on the task at hand.

Marinette paced her room. Despite the change in their dynamic at least they still worked well together. And although he had been frustrated, they had parted ways with everything seemingly patched up. Still, she would like to make sure... “Tikki spots on.” She ordered and immediately pulled out her yoyo to call Cat Noir, he wasn’t answering.

“Hey Cat Noir, I was hoping we could talk after everything that happened today. Meet me on our rooftop.” She hung up and made her way to the rooftop in question, it wasn’t far from her place and she settled down to wait.

*****

Adrien put down the tablet. That should be enough to make up for the missed class with his actual tutor. He wondered how Master Fu had made that work out.

“Alright Plagg, time for an evening stroll.”

“Again? You saved Paris twice today, isn’t that enough?”

Adrien smirked. His evening stroll wasn’t that out of the ordinary. He hated being cooped up. Yet another reason why he couldn’t truly give up being Cat Noir. As annoyed as he had been would he have really done it? Probably not. He would have regretted it nearly instantaneously. He looked at Plagg who was being less obnoxious than usual. Not that Adrien minded but clearly he had hurt his Kwami's feelings earlier. He'd have to work to gain his trust back perhaps. In the mean time, he was itching to feel the Parisien air on his face. “Claws out!” He jumped out of the window, ready for a refreshing stroll but felt his rod buzz. He stopped in his window seal and checked his messages; he was immediately worried when he saw he had one from Ladybug. He quickly listened to the message, ready to go join her in whatever new emergency was going on. He was surprised at her tone. She sounded insecure.

“Meet me on our rooftop.” His heart started racing. This was a personal call and she had called it their rooftop. Grinning, he made it to the rooftop in question in record time. Ladybug was resting against the railing overlooking the city and the sunset. He landed next to her, not even causing her to jump.

“You rang m'lady.” Ladybug giggle and his heart swelled.

“I’m glad you’re here Kitty.”

“Pawsitively?” He teased, recalling her earlier pun with a smile. Ladybug giggled again and smiled at him.

“I’m glad you aren’t angry with me anymore.” She smiled.

“I could never be angry with you for long.” He smiled at her “Besides, I know now why you kept your secrets.” He added more seriously.

“I would have told you earlier if I could.”

“I know. I should have trusted you when you told me as much.” He had been such a hypocrite about the whole trust issue.

“I understand how you must have felt though. I wouldn’t have liked being in the dark. Like you said we’re a team and if we’re going to defeat Hawk Moth we need to –“

“Trust each other.” He finished her sentence.

“Exactly.” She smiled at him.

“I trust you Ladybug. Do you trust me?” He felt nervous asking the question. Earlier that day he had acted out this very question with his action figures.

“Of course I do.” She gushed, reassuring him immediately. “How could I not? You’re a great partner and you’re always there for me. I don’t know how I’d manage without you.”

“Really?” He asked. 

“That doesn’t really surprise you, does it?” Ladybug said surprised.

“To be honest, I was starting to feel like you may not need me anymore. Especially since you can get your new superhero friend to help you instead.” Cat Noir looked away. It was a fear he had barely voiced to himself.

Ladybug put a hand on his arm. “Cat Noir I- Rena Rouge is helpful but she could never replace you.” She pulled on his arm so he would look at her. “Out of everyone in Paris, Master Fu chose you to permanently have the cat miraculous. He won’t allow anyone else aside from us to keep our miraculouses. And I couldn’t be more glad with his choice.”

Cat Noir smiled at her, feeling warm inside. How could he have ever doubted the amazing girl in front of him?

“Did you know that the ladybug and cat miraculous form a ying and yang in the miraculous box?” She asked, taking a more relaxed posture, letting go of his arm to rest on the railing. “We compliment each other perfectly. That’s why we’re such a great team. The best team.”

“I always thought so.” He smiled. “So how many miraculous are there?”

Ladybug looked thoughtful as if she didn’t know if she should answer.

“It’s alright. You don’t need to tell me.” He reassured.

“I just don’t know how much information is too much.”

“The rules do seem to be bending. You know Rena Rouge’s secret identity. We both know Master Fu’s, He knows mine…”

“And mine.” Ladybug smiled.

Cat Noir hadn't thought of it but if Master Fu had been the one to give him his miraculous he must have given Ladybug’s as well.

“And the world hasn’t ended. It’d be helpful to know, don’t you think?”

Ladybug gave him a look. “Those are special circumstances. Not to mention they hold danger. If either one of us got under Hawk Moth’s control then he would know about Master Fu. He took a great risk letting you in on the secret.”

“Yeah, I know.” He pouted for show.

“I told Master Fu he had made the right choice. That we’re both really careful.”

“You were right. I’ll guard these secrets with my life.”

“I knew I could trust you.” She kissed him on the cheek and swung away.

Cat Noir blushed and touched his cheek where she had kissed him, smiling brightly before heading back to his place. He never could have given all this up. Not a chance.


	42. Zombizou

Marinette had to admit. Chloe had impressed her. She had been honest, apologetic and she had sacrificed herself to save Ladybug. She didn't blame Alya for her reaction though. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would have doubted it too.

“As usual we’ll start the day by giving a nice compliment to your neighbour.”

“Adrien, you look a lot better today as a non zombie” Nino laughed and Adrien joined in.

“It’s a shame you missed it. You could have gotten your kiss.” Alya said in a low voice so only Marinette would hear.

She nearly did. She had slammed that door fast enough. Sure she wanted a kiss. But only if he actually wanted to kiss her and preferably not when it would have prevented her from saving Paris. “And end up a zombie anyways? No thanks.” The two girls chuckled.

“I guess my compliment to you today is way to be nice to Chloe. We all know she doesn't deserve it.”

“And my compliment to you is you must have been really brave to help Ladybug and Cat Noir yesterday.” Marinette hoped her friend hadn’t taken it personally that she hadn’t been called on as Rena to help. The truth was that there simply hadn’t been enough time to go get her miraculous.

“I had someone who made it not too bad.” She smiled at Nino who looked over his shoulder to smile back at her.

“How did it feel to be patient zero?” Alya asked Marinette.

“Oh uh. I really don’t remember much.”

“Did you see the akumatization happen?”

“Yeah.” Marinette looked down ashamed. She had wondered if she should have transformed and deevilized the akuma right away, giving herself away to Miss Bustier. If she had been alone she wouldn’t have wondered about it for a second but with her identity on the line… Would there be a time when she would be forced to transform in front of someone? Today had been close. She had been the only non-zombie left. “I think it was coming for me. Ms Bustier wouldn’t let it get close to me and it got her instead. I don’t even understand how. She wasn’t angry at all.” Marinette wondered what would have happened if it had got to her? Could she even be akumatized?

“You were nearly akumatized?” Adrien blinked at her.

“Well you two are basically the only ones in class to have never been akumatized by this point.” Alya pointed out, looking around the class as if checking the truth of her statement. “It’s not that out of place.”

“Hey, she’s right.” Nino looked around the room.

“I wonder what type of villain you would be.” Alya thought. “Maybe sew girl! Fixing all of Paris’ fashion.”

Marinette laughed. “More like Clutso, making everyone as clumsy as me.”

“Your shirt isn’t quite so horrible today Sabrina.” Chloe said loudly. 

“Thank you Chloe!” Sabrina gushed.

Marinette rolled her eyes. Chloe still didn’t quite get this whole complimenting each other thing.

“What about Adrien? What type of villain would he be?” Nino asked. Marinette blinked. Somehow she couldn’t imagine Adrien being akumatized he was just so…perfect.

Alya made a pensive look. “Hmmm… I’m not sure… you never really get mad at anything do you?” She eyed Adrien.

Adrien let out a nervous chuckle.

“Except when it comes to his dad. I think you’d be some kind of rebel super villain.” Nino laughed at whatever mental image had accompanied the thought.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Marinette hoped they would never find out. It was hard enough to fight her akumatized friends and their family members, she couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if she was fighting the love of her life.

“So are we still on for tonight?” Alya asked, changing the topic. Marinette instantly smiled, remembering how Alya had been trying to set up another evening where they could hang out the four of them. She hadn’t spent time with Adrien since their video game night over a month ago. He kept needing to cancel.

“You bet!” Nino immediately exclaimed.

“Sorry, I’m out.” Adrien blushed a little.

Marinette’s glee broke into pieces. Again? 

“I have this big concert coming up.” Adrien explained.

“Bummer dude.”

“Alright class, we have a lot of catching up to do. Open your ebooks to page 314.”

Marinette opened the document on autopilot. Why did she even bother getting her hopes up? In the last few months they had hung out only 3 times and she hadn’t gotten any closer to telling him how she felt. Well at least they still had class together. Marinette smiled at how he had complimented her the previous day on her gift for Miss Bustier. He was so sweet! She really hoped he would still be able to make that rock concert next week on Juleka’s boat. Marinette let herself feel hope anew. Adrien couldn’t possibly be busy forever. She just had to be patient.

*****  
Adrien was barely reading the words in front of him. Ever since the last akuma attack, he was on cloud nine. He liked Rena, she was really cool but there was just something about it just being just him and Ladybug. Granted it hadn’t truly just been the two of them. His classmates had been a huge help but still. When it had gotten down to just him, Chloe and Ladybug it had reassured him that they were still a strong duo. Hence his distraction, he kept remembering the last moments he could remember before being turned into a zombie. Ladybug’s hand had gently cupped his face, her own full of worry for him. He would sacrifice himself again in a heartbeat for her. Not that it was much of a sacrifice, he knew she would set things right. She always did.  
He would have liked that kiss though. His hiding in the locker truly hadn’t been a ploy to get a kiss from Ladybug, he had just been looking for a cover. The fact that Ladybug had been the one to find him had just been luck and since Ladybug had fixed everything he obviously hadn’t zombie kissed her. Unlike Chloe… Adrien shuddered at the first memory after his awakening. His mouth had been inches from Chloe’s. Had he kissed her before that moment or was that going to be the first? Best not to think about it. Chloe was one of his closest friends. The idea that they may have kissed… Adrien shuddered again. At least Chloe had no idea who Cat Noir was. That would have been awkward.

He wasn’t the only one feeling awkward about the kisses during the akuma attack. Different people had awoken in the embrace of whoever was nearby. Some people, like Alya and Nino as well as Milène and Ivan were lucky to have been near their significant other. Some hadn't been hugging or kissing anyone. Others, like him, not so much. He had gone straight to Ladybug in the hopes of maybe cashing in on that kiss he had mentioned before being zombified. No such luck. She had been far too busy with Miss Bustier and Chloe and then had had to escape before she would transform back. She most likely would have said no anyway. Adrien sighed. One day. Her actions and words towards him were changing. That had to be a good sign. 

When the bell finally rung, Adrien had gotten nearly none of his school work done. He was going to have so much homework. At least he had most of the evening. 

“Adrien, your father is waiting for you at home.” Nathalie told him as she held the car door open for him. Adrien nearly tripped into the car. Did his father hear about the recent akumatization at school? Was he actually worried about him? Unsurprisingly, the answer was no, he had rushed to his father’s office to be greeted by not just his father, but a dark haired bearded man. 

“Ah Adrien, please meet Thomas Astruc.”

Adrien didn't recognize the name but hid his surprise at the unexpected turn of events. “Hello Mr Astruc.” He shook the man's hand. 

“Thomas is a movie director and he has a proposition for you.”

“Yes I'm working on quite the exciting project. See, we're making a movie about Ladybug and Cat Noir for Heroes day and we were wondering if you would be interested in being one of our actors.”

Adrien blinked. Was this his father's way of getting him out of school? Acting for a movie would be nothing like the ad he had done a few weeks ago. It would take months! Would he still have to keep up with everything else on top of the movie? What about his Cat Noir duties? He looked at his father who was frowning at him. Clearly he was to say yes but what part was he to play in the movie? Could he not get more information? It couldn't be to play Cat Noir, he had done such a poor job of that during the music video that no one in their rightful mind would-

“I know! I bet you didn't expect this when you woke up this morning.” Thomas smiled at him. “Before you decide, here's the script. It's an animation so you will have it with you during the recording in a month, don't worry about memorizing any of it but think about how your character would sound and say things. Two weekends should cover the voicing.”

Wait. An animation? They wanted him to be a voice actor. He could still go to school! That didn't sound so bad.

“I've already made arrangements for your previously scheduled activities.” His father added. Translation: you're doing this and you need to say yes right now. 

“Sounds fun Mr Astruc.” Adrien happily obliged honestly. Just two weekends and reading over the script. That seemed manageable.

“Wonderful! Glad to have you onboard Adrien. You'll make a great Cat Noir! Thank you both for your time.” The director shook his hand before being escorted out by Nathalie.

Wait- “Cat Noir?” Adrien asked out loud, panic rising. 

“Thankfully Mr Astruc did not seem dissuaded by your last attempt to play the superhero.” Translation: Don't mess this one up.

Adrien swallowed. He had already said yes. He looked down at the script in front of him. “I better go over this now then.” He said before being excused. He couldn't get to his room fast enough. Thankfully it seemed that the discussion was over anyway since his father didn't call him back. Once in his room he swiftly closed the door.

“What am I going to do Plagg?” He asked his kwami as he let Plagg out of his over shirt.

“About what?” Plagg lazily asked. Floating over to his football table.

“I can't play Cat Noir! What if I get recognized!”

His kwami laughed. 

“This is serious Plagg!”

“You said that about last time and more than ever people are convinced that you aren't Cat Noir.” 

“Yes but that's because of how lame I was.” Adrien collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

“You don't even need to dress up this time. No one will realize anything. You humans are way too blind for that.”

Adrien sat up, looking at the script in his hand. He hadn't signed the contract yet…

“People will just think you're a great voice actor. Who better to play you than you?” Plagg asked, going over to the cheese cupboard. 

“You really think people won't figure out my secret identity?” 

"It'll be fine.” Plagg happily ate a piece of cheese.

Plagg had been right last time. And he had been around his classmates plenty of times as Cat Noir and no one seemed to recognize his voice. Perhaps he could do this. Adrien sat comfortably on his bed and started reading the script. It was pretty good. The writers had clearly done their research because they hadn't been too far off in terms of his and Ladybug's personalities. Well except for the civilian versions of the superheroes that were just made up and not that different from the hero personas. He wondered what Ladybug would think of the movie. The movie portrayed her as relying on him a lot which seemed unbalanced and then there was that ending…

“I'm bored.” Plagg complained. “You've been staring at that thing for hours.”

Adrien rolled his eyes but put the script away. He still had his school work. Plagg groaned when he saw what Adrien had pulled out instead, making him chuckle. This was his life. One busy thing to the next. It would ease up eventually. He hoped.


	43. Captain Hardrock

Adrien couldn’t believe his dad had actually played piano with him and then let him join his friends for the concert. It had turned out to be a good day in the end. Granted, the type of music was a little outside what he was used to but he had managed to adapt.

“Great playing Adrien.” Luka complimented him when their gig was done.

“Thanks. You too.” He smiled at his new friend.

“You guys rocked!” Nino walked over to them accompanied by Alya and Marinette.

“Well we wouldn't be able to play at all if it wasn’t for Marinette.” Luka smiled at the girl in question. Marinette blushed and looked away, rubbing her neck.

“What? Me? I didn’t do anything.”

“You went to get help and saved us from the akuma.” Luka said with awe in his voice. “I still don't know how you did it.”

Adrien was confused. Marinette hadn’t been on the boat when he and Ladybug had saved them.

“That’s Marinette for you, full of surprises.” Alya winked at her friend. Adrien felt like he was definitely missing something.

“Cat Noir and Ladybug are the real heroes.” Marinette said, seeming uncomfortable with the attention. 

“I had never seen them up close before.” Luka mentioned. “I wonder how they got the boat on land.”

Juleka’s mom walked over with a tray of glasses of lemonade and cakes. “A little something to replenish your strength.”

“Thanks mom.” Luka grabbed a glass for himself and another for Marinette. Adrien hadn’t realized Luka was Juleka’s brother. He hadn't even known she had a brother. They didn’t look overly related. 

“So how did you get your dad to let you come over after all?” Nino asked him, handing him a piece of cake. Adrien happily took it. He rarely got sweets and these looked amazing.

To be honest, Adrien had been surprised by his dad’s offer and wasn’t too sure on what had changed his mind. “I guess once I played the piece right he figured I could take a break from practicing.” Not that he had actually practiced that much all day…

“Your dad grounded you over a music mistake? Harsh.” Luka looked at him wide eyed.

Adrien shrugged. He was use to it. He started collecting empty glasses and put them back on the tray.

“No need for that young man.” Luka’s mom threw the empty tray behind her. Adrien blinked at her. “A little disorder is a good thing, right Marinette?” She nudged the girl in question. “No rules here.”

Adrien took another look around. It was definitely a contrast from his own house. “So, where do I put the dishes?” He asked uncertain.

“Well right here of course!” Luka’s mom threw it over the side of the boat and Adrien rushed to go see where they had landed. They were in a basket half submerged in the water. “Just a little pre-rince.” Luka’s mom walked away. Adrien blinked at her.

“Your mom is off the chain.” Alya said after a laugh to Juleka who blushed.

That was one word for it. Adrien wondered if soaking dirty dishes in the canal was bad for it.

Luka put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we don’t let her go overboard.”

Adrien laughed. “Good one.”

Luka smiled back. “Juleka wasn’t kidding when she talked about how cool her friends were.” He said, his focus on Marinette.

Adrien smiled knowingly. He looked at Marinette as well. She was laughing with Juleka and Rose about something. She looked really happy today actually. Happier than he had seen her in a while. Maybe she was over that heartache she had mentioned to Cat Noir. He looked back at Luka. Or maybe she had found a new, more willing, target. He never had been very good at reading girls. Marinette didn’t seem to pay Luka anymore attention than anyone else but he would put money on the blue-haired boy having at least a crush on Marinette.

Adrien felt a familiar jealousy rise. He wanted his friends to be happy. He hoped things would work out for Marinette but if he was being honest, he was getting tired of waiting around for Ladybug and it was hard enough seeing Nino and Alya together sometimes… it had been a small comfort to know that he hadn’t been alone in his heartache as horrible as that may have been.

Maybe it was time he asked Ladybug out again. Ever since their talk on the rooftop a few months ago she had been more patient with him and had been laughing along with his jokes more. Except for today when he had told her that her lucky charm was probably telling her that she was chained to him. She had groaned but she always hated him flirting too much during the heat of battle. Maybe she did return his feelings and maybe the other boy was out of the picture. There was only one way to find out.

*****

Marinette kept observing Adrien and then Luka in the corner of her eye, her heart being pulled two ways. She loved Adrien and yet she also felt a little flustered and warm around Luka. He was kind, handsome, sweet… but Adrien was all that and more. Only he was also nearly never around and liked her only as a friend. But he had showed up today in the end. Not that she had spoken to him much. She had gotten all tongue tied as usual.  
And it wasn’t the first time she had been confused about her feelings regarding boys. Maybe this was all Cat Noir’s fault. He had her rethinking her feelings for him in the past when she found out he really loved her and wasn’t just messing around. But in the end, she loved Adrien and any momentary relapse was nothing in comparison. It was the same with Luka surely. Just a little crush. Not the love of her life.  
But even if Luka was just a crush she still wondered if she was wasting her time with Adrien. Maybe there would never be something between them. Well she definitely wouldn’t get anywhere without talking to him.  
He and Luka were walking back to join the group so maybe she’d have her chance.

“I should probably head home. It’s getting late.” Adrien stated.

Marinette felt herself deflate. Of course he did.

“I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow! It was nice meeting you Luka.” He waved and all she could manage was half a smile and a wave in return.

“So do you play an instrument Marinette?” Luka asked her and she felt her face flush. Just a crush, nothing else, she reminded herself.

“N-No.”

“She’s more of an insanely talented designer. Show him some of your sketches.” Alya piped in.

“I’d love to see them.” Luka smiled.  
Just a crush. There was no harm in just sharing her sketches. She sat down and Luka sat next to her, their touching legs sending a warm feeling throughout her whole body. It was fine. Nothing romantic. They were just friends... Right?


	44. Frozer

Marinette wasn’t about to go back to the metro where Luka was no doubt still waiting for the next train. Instead, she walked home, wishing the floor would swallow her up. She was such an idiot. What had she even been planning on saying to Adrien once she had caught up to him? Sure she had grand ideas of declarations of love but he liked Kagami. Their date had obviously went well based on that kiss at the end and she had instead said that they should do it again, as another group date. Marinette groaned. 

“Cheer up Marinette.” Tikki, her reliable optimistic kwami voiced from her open purse.

“But it’s all over now. Adrien is with Kagami.” She looked down, discouraged.

“We don’t know that for sure Marinette.”

Even if they weren’t a couple it didn’t matter. He had come to her for girl advice about someone else. Why couldn’t she just get her stupid heart to get with the program? Why couldn’t she just like Luka more instead? Poor Luka. She felt bad about how she had left him alone after how kind he had been to her but at least they could still be friends. A very understanding, not too sulky friend. Unlike a certain cat.

What did Cat Noir want from her? She had told him she hadn’t been interested and yet he offered her another flower only to get upset that her answer hadn’t changed. He had acted as if she had done something wrong when they had Frozer to deal with which seemed so odd after how he had reacted last time she had told him no… What had been up with him today?

At least he hadn’t been salty very long and they had gotten back into their old dynamic but they hadn’t really talked about the elephant in the room. They had pretty much just finished dealing with the akuma, so he couldn’t be that far away. Marinette eyed the rooftops. 

“Change of plans Tikki.” She walked into an alley. “Spots on!” If nothing else, she needed to let the wind even out her emotions but with any luck she would run into her Kitty.

*****  
Adrien sunk in the backseat of the car as his bodyguard drove off to take him home.  
He had made a fool of himself today. And not only because he had just assumed that one of his closest friends was asking him out on a date. He groaned as he remembered how he had asked Marinette uncertainly if that’s what she had meant. Something she had quickly cleared up. Did she now think that he wanted to date her just like Plagg had assumed? And why had a part of him been disappointed that Marinette wasn’t asking him out? He had just decided not to switch targets. Despite Ladybug still not returning his feelings yet, his own were too strong to simply push aside. What was wrong with him then? He blamed Plagg. He was the one to put the idea of going after Marinette in his head in the first place. It didn’t matter. She was with Luka now anyway. Looks like he had guessed that one right. Adrien was perhaps a tad bit jealous that another of his friends had found someone special but he was happy for them. He supposed that meant she was over whoever had disappointed her a few months ago.  
Either way, he treasured her friendship, she was awesome, but he didn’t like her that way. The way that he loved Ladybug who could make his heart race with a look and stop with a touch. His lady whom he had been unfairly rude to.

Adrien slouched lower in his seat. He had been such an idiot. His date with Kagami hadn’t been going well. He liked Kagami and she seemed to like him but, he didn’t like her in that special way anymore than Marinette and she had exposed a side of herself that he hadn’t seen before. As much as he liked strong independent girls he didn’t like one that would try to change him. The date had made him frustrated.  
And so he had dumped all of those emotions onto Ladybug. Well if she didn't love him this morning he had pretty much put the nail in that coffin now. But he still wouldn’t change targets. He had tried, failed and it had just showed him how much you can’t simply tell your heart to give up. Maybe Ladybug would never love him but until he stopped loving her, he couldn’t force his heart in another direction. Just like his Lady apparently. Not for the first time he wondered who could possibly have captured her heart so strongly. Would either of their hearts change?

Adrien looked out the window. He wished he had patched things up better with Ladybug. He did a double take when he noticed a familiar red dot making her way across the city. He eyed his bodyguard. Was there anyway of escaping and getting his wish?

“I need to go to the bathroom, can we stop at that corner store?” He asked. To his glee, the gorilla silently made the turn.

“I’ll be right back.” He quickly exited the car but instead of going in the corner store, he ducked into an alley and ran a block before transforming into Cat Noir. In no time, he was scanning the rooftops for his Lady. He had just seen her go this way, where could she have…

“Looking for someone?” Ladybug snuck up on him.

Cat Noir was so surprised, he hugged her before realizing how that might look.

“Sorry.” He pulled away. “I wanted to apologize for today.” He looked away. “I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me. We work better as a team. Always have.”

Ladybug moved around him so she would be facing him. “Thanks Kitty. I think so too.” She smiled at him before her lips fell. “I am sorry I’ve hurt you.” She didn’t quite look him in the eye.

“It’s not your fault.” He knew better than anyone now how you can’t just turn your feelings off and on. "You can't change how you feel." He knew that more than ever after today. 

“I really value your friendship though.” She smiled tentatively. 

“Me too." He smiled back sadly. It was true. If he couldn't have her love at least he had her friendship. 

“So no more trying to go solo?” She smirked.

Cat Noir gave an earnest smile back. “No. We’re teammates first and foremost.” And maybe one day something more. He had to keep trying. Even if it didn't lead anywhere. 

“Thanks Cat Noir. I’ll see you soon.” She swung away.

“You too Bugaboo.” Cat Noir mostly said to himself, smiling at her retreating figure. What a girl. Forgiving and understanding in ways he probably didn’t deserve. At least he hadn’t messed up their friendship.


End file.
